Hero of the Day
by DotNetDemon
Summary: Jessie Bannon is thrust into a world of espionage and terror after she is kidnapped and brought forth the true leaders of the world. She learns that she is the product of a genetic experiment known as Les Miserables Terbiles. R&R please!
1. Prologue

THE REAL ADVENTURES OF JONNY QUEST

HERO OF THE DAY

Disclaimer

All characters related to Jonny Quest copyright © 1996-2005 Hanna-Barbera. Any other characters belong to their respective copyrights. All rights reserved.

All characters related to Metal Gear Solid © 1985-2005 Konami of Japan. All Rights Reserved.

Oh yeah, I haven't written a fanfic in AGES. Please be gentle when you're ripping it apart like savages. I'm more accustomed to writing technical papers or term papers. –Adam

P.S. You might want to get something cold to drink. This can get pretty grim.

_Never Alone_ by Barlow Girl

I waited for you… today…

But you didn't show…

No… no… no…

I needed You… today….

So where did… You go?

You told me to call…

Said You'd be there…

And though I haven't seen You…

Are You still there…?

I cried out with no reply and…

I can't feel You by my side so…

I'll hold tight to what I know

You're here… and I'm never alone…

And though I cannot… see You…

And I can't explain… why…

Such a deep, deep… reassurance…

You've placed… in my life…

We cannot separate…

'Cause You're part of me…

And though You're invisible…

I'll trust the unseen…

I cried out with no reply and…

I can't feel You by my side so…

I'll hold tight to what I know…

You're here… and I'm never alone…

We cannot separate…

'Cause You're part of me…

And though You're invisible…

I'll trust the unseen…

I cried out with no reply and…

I can't feel You by my side so…

I'll hold tight to what I know…

You're here… and I'm never alone…

Prologue

**February 14th, 2004**

I've never been to North Carolina before. Daddy said that he once trained at Fort Bragg during the summer months of his enlistment. He always enjoyed it here; thought about moving to the mountains someday after he retires, if ever. He may protect Dr. Quest until he can't even protect himself anymore. I looked down at the crashing ocean waves below the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. Here, it was peaceful, serene. Some kids were collecting clams and seashells before the sun completely set. Earlier I had walked by two small boys building a sand castle that encompassed several feet.

"We're making Charlotte!" one of them said.

I simply smiled at them and moved on.

If only I could be that carefree.

I leaned forward onto the railing and reached into my coat pocket. Jonny given me a Valentine's Day card when I wasn't looking – sneaky bastard – now was a better time than ever to see him spill his heart out. The word "Jess" was written across the front; the flap was neatly taped down to keep prying eyes from seeping in. I ripped off the tape and smiled at Jonny's forgetfulness to remove the 2.93 Wal-Mart sticker from the back of the card. I read through the whole thing. Twice. Three times. Three became four. Four became one too many. Subsequently, I slipped the card back into its envelope and threw it out to sea like it was a Frisbee. The item of love floated on the surface and drifted off. In my hand I clutched the picture of Jonny that was enclosed inside the card. I looked down at it one last time: he wore a casual business attire to give him a more "adult" look. The photographer at the Sears portrait studio said he looked nice. I agreed.

I wiped my jade eyes dry and put the picture back into my pants pocket where it belonged. I thought about jumping. But then I realized that it wouldn't solve anything of whom or what I had become. Daddy would be proud in a sense, I guess, since my nerves became steel (like my fists), my wits were abundant, and my emotions were stone. I figured Jonny would end up being heartbroken before too long. Hadji would remain steadfast and confident in what I would do with the rest of my life.

This is what I am now.

This is what I will always be.

Alone.


	2. Chapter One: So Cold

Chapter One:

So Cold

Three years ago…

His voice was calling.

"Jessica…"

Hollow, cold, and unforgiving.

"You know who you are and who you're meant to be. Remember that…"

Then there was silence. The darkness went on for miles inside my mind. I tried to speak but I couldn't; I barely got out a whimper. I sat down onto a hard, unforeseen surface and pulled my knees up to my chest. My dark olive pajamas clung to my arms and legs thanks to my profuse sweating. I began to cry and wail to the best of my ability. This was what I experienced in my sleep. Like clockwork, I could never escape it. Dr. Quest referred me to a psychiatrist who did nothing more than give me a supplemental cure to deal with the cause. The sedatives did nothing more than take me out of this world and into this one. Before, I had been an insomniac. Hadji couldn't explain it no better than my therapist.

I tried to trace it to something I had seen or did, but came up with nothing. Strangely, deep inside I felt I knew who was speaking to me. It wasn't Jonny – God no, it wasn't Jonny – it was… someone older. It wasn't Daddy, his voice didn't sound so cold. The price I paid for a good night's rest was getting insane. Sometimes I could block it out and scream at him, whoever "he" was, to leave me alone. He would. Only to return the next night.

And then I was back in reality.

My room was beginning to fill with light from the rising morning sun. Orange brightness poured in from my window, tearing through my laced curtains and striking my face. I rolled over to my alarm clock. Six-thirteen in the morning. Another six hours of torture had gone to pass and now another sixteen hours of punishment waited eagerly outside of my door.

I pushed the covers off and turned off my alarm clock. I don't know why I kept setting the alarm as it was completely useless. I would always wake up before seven, regardless of whether I was ready to get up or not. I stumbled across the room and into the hallway. The hollowed halls of the Quest compound were silent except for Dr. Quest and Daddy in the kitchen downstairs. Jonny and Hadji would probably not stir for another forty-five minutes. Lucky them.

I walked into the bathroom and flipped on the fluorescent light. In the mirror, an estranged eighteen year-old girl greeted me. This wasn't the Jessie Bannon that people knew; however, it was the Jessie Bannon I had become accustomed to. Torn, stressed, and beat down to the ground. I brushed my untamed red hair down to something manageable before washing my face with all of my feminine hygiene products. Daddy always called me the "pit bull in a skirt" for that reason.

"For such a hardass," he would say, "You sure do spend a lot of time getting ready."

That began to change slowly after my sleep disorder began. I walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Daddy was sitting at the island drinking coffee while Dr. Quest rearranged the refrigerator. I don't know what it is about that man and how his food is kept, but that's another story. As usual, both were already dressed and wide awake.

"Morning Jessie-girl," Daddy said. "God Dear, you look like hell… again."

Dr. Quest turned around, "I agree completely."

I frowned, "You don't have to remind me."

Daddy pulled out the stool next to him, "Well sit down and have some coffee."

I took a seat on the plush bar stool. Dr. Quest's kitchen was always as impressive as the rest of the house was. Walking in to it, one would think they were in a world class restaurant. While my cooking skills are above-average, it's nothing world class. I folded my arms on the marble counter of the island and rested my head on them. I groaned softly.

"I'm worried about you, Sweetie," Daddy said.

Not lifting my head from my makeshift cushion, I said, "You don't say?"

"No need to be a smartass. I think you need to take a vacation."

"Shit," I mumbled. "I don't think it would make much difference."

"Well I think it would," Daddy reasserted. "Dr. Quest has been requested to visit a new underwater project underway in South Carolina. The lab is near Nags Head, so have Jonny take you to the beach and _try_ to relax."

"That's a good idea," Dr. Quest said. "A little fun in the sun never hurt anyone."

I sighed, "I guess."

Like clockwork, Jonny stumbled in with nothing more than his black boxers donned with pairs of red luscious lips all over them and "SEXY BEAST" written across the waistline; Hadji wasn't not far behind. Out of the two, Hadji looked freshly prepared to face the day. Jonny, on the other hand, looked like he locked himself in the dryer for a little too long.

"Morning all," Jonny yawned as he made his way to the refrigerator.

"Good morning everyone," Hadji followed.

"Good morning boys," Dr. Quest said. "Is everyone's bags ready for our trip?"

Hadji nodded his head. Jonny took a swig of milk from the jug before saying, "Huh?"

"Your bags, sleeping beauty," Daddy said. "Are you ready to go?"

Jonny started blankly for a minute before remembering that his brain actually functioned.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm ready. How 'bout you, Jess?"

I shook my head, "Of course not."

Jonny ventured out on a limb, saying, "Of course not, huh? I know what you mean: those suitcases can be confusing."

"Up yours, Quest," I responded.

He simply smiled. That fucking cunning grin that always tears through me.

Damn… it hurts thinking about it. Are you there, God…?

"I don't think it wise to be aggravating her that much, my friend," Hadji enthused.

Jonny, ever the smartass, poked the badger again, "That time of the month again, huh Jess?"

I gave him "that" look.

"I'll help you pack Jessie," Jonny said.

"Thanks," I grumbled.

God's a practical joker. I'm sure of it…

Breakfast for me that morning consisted of a pimento cheese sandwich. With luck, I figured I'd be able to last the rest of the day without sustenance. My suitcase was opened on top of my bed spread as Jonny chucked random under garments, jeans, miscellaneous outfits, and anything else he could get his hands on into it. Then he stopped suddenly.

"What?" I asked.

Jonny held up a small, red leather bound book, and said, "Say Jess, I didn't know you had a Bible."

"Oh yeah," I began to think back to when I acquired it. Instead, I was drawing blanks. "I can't remember where it came from."

Jonny opened it up to where it was bookmarked, asking, "Has a passage highlighted. Want me to read it?"

I nodded.

"As surely as I live forever, when I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood, while my sword devours flesh: the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders. Deuteronomy chapter thirty-two, verses forty to forty-two."

I stared blankly at him for a moment.

"I don't understand," I stammered.

Eventually I would, though.

"Ah well, here, you want it?" Jonny asked, holding out the book.

I shrugged, "I guess."

He tossed it into the case.

"Jessie, I know I've probably pestered the living crap out of you with this, but, what keeps you up at night?"

I got annoyed, "My answer hasn't changed from the _last_ fifty times you asked me, Jonny: I don't know."

"Okay, okay, just checking."

Jonny and I finally finished packing. He zipped up the suitcase and placed it next to my guitar case. Over the past few months I decided to become musically inclined. Piano was a bit of a challenge until a friend suggested that I try guitar. It seemed to work, even though I enjoyed guitar better. My sweet little black Epiphone Les Paul Special II would be getting a bulk of attention on this trip. Playing was one of the only ways that I could take my mind off of the hell around me. That and being with Jonny.

"Say Jess," Jonny said.

I looked up.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

I thought for a minute.

Not thinking he would take me serious, I said, "Well, you could sleep with me tonight."

"I will."

I stood there for a minute, unsure of what to say or think. Jonny walked over and we embraced for a minute. "I love you," he whispered in m year. I was awestruck.

"I… I love you too," I managed to say when my brain reactivated.

He smiled and carried my bags off.

I sat down on the bed and rubbed my eyes. Had we taken it one step further? Was I _ready_ to take this attraction another step further? Even now, I'm not sure. I'm sure of one thing, though: it didn't make much difference in the long run.

Love sucks. Period.

I slept most of the way on the trip. Strangely, I wasn't harassed by my mind. Jonny and Hadji played game after game on their PS2 when they weren't reading, playing on the computer, or napping like I was. It was evening when we arrived at the Ramada where we were staying. Nags Head looked like your typical beach city: lots of hotels, club spots, and lots and lots of sand. The night brings out all sorts of people that are too afraid to come out in the day; or maybe, because they don't have much of a choice. I put on a pair of black gym shorts and a tank top and walked out of the RV. Daddy, Jonny, and Hadji were toting the bags up to the rooms as Dr. Quest obtained the keys. Jonny was yelling about having to pee so bad that he was about to make a puddle. Daddy laughed and told him to tie his pecker in a knot.

The crowds walking up and down the city streets made for a lot commotion. The town was lit up so bright I wondered why people even bothered turning their headlights on after dusk. I followed Dr. Quest into the extravagant lobby. A crystal chandelier added to the effect of luxury in this hotel. A giant Persian rug the size of an indoor swimming pool occupied the floor; marble columns, polished countertops, and lots of leather. I was staring up at the chandelier and gazing at the floors above when I bumped into him.

I looked up into the eyes of the one who invaded my dreams, my life.

I shrieked and jumped backwards, tripping over my own feet and landing on the floor.

Dr. Quest stepped up, saying, "Stone? Is that you?"

The salt-and-pepper haired man turned and greeted Dr. Quest.

"It's been a long time, Doctor," Stone said. "I anticipated your arrival."

Stone was about six foot one with a medium build. He didn't seem to have legs sticking out of his torso, but he wasn't a slouch, either. Those dark turquoise eyes of his sent shivers down my spine. His face was hardened and cold, just like the silk black shirt and charcoal slacks. Stone had business written all over him. I picked myself up off the floor.

"Stone, this is Jessica Bannon," Dr. Quest said, introducing us.

Stone shook my hand firmly. I couldn't seem to escape his intense look. I hoped he wasn't trying to stare down my tank top.

"Nice to meet you, Jessica," Stone said.

I simply nodded and excused myself. I wanted to get away from that man as fast as possible. The vibes I got from him were not good. My mind was screaming at me to confront him and to get to the bottom of the haunting. Another part of me – the dumbass part of me – told me to keep running. I ran out of the lobby and up the stairs.

Everyone else was waiting in front of the rooms. They noticed my anxiousness to get near them.

"Jessie, what's wrong?" Daddy asked.

Through the huffs and wheezes I expelled, I managed to come up with a viable excuse, "I've got to pee, (huff), (wheeze), too."

Daddy bought it. Jonny and Hadji expressed concern but let it go, deciding it would be in everyone's best interest to not pursue it any further.

"Jessie, where's Dr. Quest?" Hadji finally asked.

I said, "He met someone he knew down in the lobby; he'll be up shortly."

"Oh really? Who?" Daddy pondered.

Taking a chance, I answered, "Some guy named Stone.'"

"Oh," Daddy said. I could tell by his body language that he knew this guy, too.

"I need to sit down," I announced as I flopped down in front of one of the doors. I leaned my back up against the brick wall and sighed deeply. Dr. Quest appeared shortly thereafter with cardkeys in hand to unlock the doors. I was handed my cardkey and Jonny and Hadji were handed theirs. I unlocked my door, picked up my cases and dragged them in. I caught wind of Daddy mentioning something to Dr. Quest about Stone before my door shut, barring everything from the outside. I put my cases on the bed closest to the door. I went over to the second, turned on the lamp on the nightstand, and flopped down on it facing the ceiling.

The rooms were well furnished. A twenty-seven inch RCA television sat in an armoire complete with DVD player. The bathroom counter was very neat and spaced; I figured the bathroom itself would be like walking into a closet. The walls were a pleasant pinstripe of blue and pink. The comforters on the bed complemented the entire design of the room. I wasn't sleepy but I wasn't ready to get up and face the world, either. I looked at my watch: four o'clock in the morning.

I yawned and rolled over onto my side. I pushed my sneakers off and threw them one corner of the room before curling up into a little ball. My mind began to wander like it often does: who the _hell_ was this Stone guy? What the _hell_ did he want with _me_? Furthermore, how did Dr. Quest and possibly Daddy know this guy?

"Why me…?" I sobbed. "Damn it all to hell…"

I wept silently for a few minutes.

Somewhere, Stone was waiting for me. I could feel it.

I lied there for about fifteen minutes before there was a pounding on my door. I rolled off the bed and walked over to it. I peeked into the peephole right above the fire escape statement: it was Jonny. I opened the door slowly, letting the cool sea breeze and immense smell of sand in.

"Hey Jess," Jonny said softly. "Mind if I come in?"

I shook my head, "No, come on in."

Jonny stepped across the threshold. He had changed to a pair of shorts and tank-top himself to adjust to the change in climate. I shut the door as he said, "How you feel?"

"Like I've been hit with a train," I sighed.

"This Stone guy I heard about: is he the one in your dreams?"

I nodded, "That's him."

Jonny set on the edge of the second bed, "How could you tell?"

"I just know… I can feel him. I heard his voice, too."

"Well, we'll all go and talk to him later today after we get some sleep."

I shook my head, saying, "No: I'll do it alone. I don't want you or Hadji getting near him. Something's up with him. He's a strange bastard..."

"Well at least let me go with you, Jessie. I don't feel comfortable with you facing this guy alone."

I walked over and sat beside Jonny, saying, "I don't know. I'm just so tired."

I began to cry as the better of my emotions got to me. Jonny put his arm around me and hugged me. After stroking my hair for a few minutes he placed me in his lap and began to rock gently. I curled up and rested on his shoulder, hoping, praying, that I wouldn't have to endure the torment of Stone's invasions much longer.

I looked up at Jonny's azure eyes. They were so clear and passionate. We were a little older then and had better control over our emotions… and desires. We kissed for a few minutes before he scooted us both back to the front of the bed. I slid under the covers as Jonny turned off the lamp. He slid his arm under my neck and the other over my chest; I was facing the bathroom. Silent tears crept down my face as I snuggled closer to Jonny. My mind was ready to take on the aspect of sleep like the rest of my body. Before I drifted off into the void of the subconscious, I felt Jonny's hand give my right breast a small squeeze.

Even a guy never misses a golden opportunity.

I wanted to smile badly.

Instead, I passed out.


	3. Chapter Two: Down Inside of You

Chapter Two:

Down Inside Of You

Jonny and I have known each other for a long time.

And for a long time, people often wondered if we were dating or if we had the intention of dating. It's funny now that I look back upon those times: ever since we were kids, up until we were about sixteen and seventeen, the thought of becoming more than friends hadn't really crossed my mind. Jonny, on the other hand: it probably raced through his mind on a day-to-day basis. Hadji explained some of the basic operation of the male brain: there's not much operation period. Random synapses fire off in his head like a popcorn kernel expands in a microwave oven. I could tell he wanted something more once we got a little older. After a lot of soul searching and recommendations from Hadji, we began to form an intimate relationship.

Mind you, we've never had sex… yet. I say that because I know better. We've kissed and made out, but seldom any groping or fondling. Besides, he probably whacked off at least twice a day anyhow.

When we turned eighteen, Jonny and I had decided that we were now officially a couple. I suppose that in his eyes, now that we were able to legally vote and become somewhat of an adult, we had the ability to handle adult emotions and situations. He is my emotional rock in ways that Daddy can't be. For that, I am thankful.

My sleep was uninterrupted for the most part like it was on the RV on the way down here. Later on, Jonny said I was calling somebody's name; said it wasn't his or anyone in particular he knew. I don't remember myself: whatever it was, my subconscious had control: no visuals involved. I slowly peered into the world around me as everything came into focus. Sunlight slipped through the blinds and fell upon everything in its path. I turned over to see an empty spot where Jonny was. I pulled myself up and rubbed my eyes.

God I had to pee.

I performed my bathroom ritual, showered, and changed into a loose white cotton t-shirt and denim shorts. I finished tying my sneakers and looked in the mirror above the counter. Wasn't much to look at, but at least I was ready to face the day. I walked out outside of my room and looked around. Daddy was closing the door to his and Dr. Quest's room when he saw me.

"Good morning, Jessie," he said.

"Hey Daddy," I replied.

We began to walk towards the staircase. Daddy said that I was welcome to join him, Dr. Quest, and Hadji to the underwater research facility. Jonny was probably going to accompany me on whatever venture I took. I told him that I would probably visit later; I wanted to explore the town some and relax. My real motive was finding Stone and getting to the bottom of this emotional mess.

It was hot enough to melt a polar ice cap outside. My watch said it was eleven-thirty; the sun was at its brightest and not to mention hottest. People were everywhere of all shapes, sizes, and lifestyles. The back of my neck started to sweat thanks to all my hair. For awhile, I seriously considered getting it cut shorter. That idea still hasn't left me.

The family and I had breakfast at a local restaurant. It had a bunch of goofy shit on the walls and checkered floor, but the food was good. Dr. Quest reminisced about his younger days hanging out in soda shop parlors and other various things that occurred before the beginning of time. Afterwards, I decided that I would break away from the group and explore the city while the group traveled to the research facility. Jonny volunteered to come with me to provide emotional company. Daddy and Dr. Quest reminded us to be careful – even though we were eighteen, we were still considered children – said that if anything happened, to contact them on the cell phone if possible.

Jonny and I walked out onto the sidewalk amidst the crowd of tourists, locals, and weirdos. Jonny looked at me and asked, "So, where do you want to start looking?"

I shrugged, "Beats me. I know nothing about this guy other than he scares the piss out of me."

So we wandered around the city for awhile, exploring shops and stores. Jonny held my hand as we walked along. It felt… nice. As we went along, I asked, "What time did you get up this morning?"

Jonny looked over, "Huh?"

"I said what time did you wake up?"

"Oh," Jonny pondered. "I guess about ten minutes before you got up. I couldn't sleep anymore."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I didn't want to disturb you. I'm not _that_ big of an asshole, Jess."

I kissed him on the cheek, "Thanks."

"Hey, no problem," he smiled.

For some reason, I felt the urge to look behind us. Something didn't feel right.

I asked, "Jonny?"

Jonny looked at me.

"Do you think we're being watched? Or followed?"

Jonny blew it off, saying, "I doubt it. I mean, who the hell wants to waste their time tailing us?"

At the end of that question, I saw a blunt two-by-four piece of lumber smack Jonny in the back of the head, sending him down to the warm sidewalk below. I flung around just in time to get a hard blow to the jaw. I sailed back into a nearby magazine rack, taking it and another display down with me. I was staring at the awning of the local print shop when the figure of a lanky, badly groomed and lightly tanned guy in a camouflage getup. His sandy-blonde hair was buzz cut to try and add to the impression that he was a "tough guy;" the acne on his face, however, said otherwise. This one wasn't the chunk of wood wielding asshole that got Jonny, though.

"Rise and shine, princess," his gawky voice said.

_There's no way I'm getting my ass kicked by this testicle_, I thought.

He was standing close enough for me to side-sweep his legs, knocking them out from under him. My would-be attacker went down as I pulled myself up.

Playtime was over.

I looked over at Jonny who was now across the shoulder of a tank on legs. Like the first one, his buzz cut was meant to add to the effect, and it worked for him. The skinny guy got back up as people walked nonchalantly on by, not paying any regards to the arena that had opened up there on the sidewalk. My jaw really hurt and I was really, really pissed.

"Fucking bitch," he said as we got into it.

Gomer Pyle tried to hit me with a couple of punches which I blocked successfully. I managed to grab his arm and twist it in ways never though possible thanks to my training in the Israeli martial arts. He flipped over and managed to sweep me down again, this time me going down face first. As soon as I hit the concrete I rolled out of the way to miss his stomp. I flipped back up and roundhouse kicked the little shit in the face. He spun around and collapsed; some of his blood had splattered onto the shop window next to us.

I looked up to see his partner climbing into a maroon Ford Crown Victoria. Jonny was nowhere to be seen. A neon-red Chevrolet Cavalier skidded up to a halt behind the Crown Victoria; all four passengers got out. They were dressed for the weather and fit in perfectly: short hair, lots of tattoos, and very anxious to get their hands on me. I backed away slowly, stepping over my fallen foe, before I turned tail and ran as hard as I could down the sidewalk. "Get that red-headed slut!" I heard them shout.

And the chase was on.

I plowed through people: pushing, shoving, and jumping around and over. Nobody seemed to care that I was being chased by four professional hoodlums who looked like they spent their evenings watching Roadhouse and beating off. I felt my waist as I ran to see if I had the cell phone, which I didn't. Jonny had it which did me absolutely no good at this time. Besides, talking on the phone would do little for the situation at hand, anyway.

Through the alleys, boardwalks, and sand I ran. I glanced behind me: yep, they were still running after me. One was missing, but I soon figured out why. On the street beside me, I heard the rumbling of a motorcycle fast approaching. I looked over my other shoulder to see the fourth one roaring up on me on a crotch rocket. I made a hard left turn around a building and pushed myself to the limit. I ran straight down the alley and on towards the beach. I heard the bike's tires squeal as he made the hard turn himself and then rev it up to full throttle. I was on a long pier: from the looks of it, I would have to swim to try and evade them.

A giant roar of an even bigger motorcycle – what looked to be a Harley Davidson Road King Classic - shook the inside of my skull. I looked over my shoulder to see a familiar figure ride up beside the crotch rocket. The crotch rocket's rider looked over just in time to have a chain wrapped around his neck and tugged on. The assailant was jerked off the seat and onto the scorching pavement below him. The bike skidded and flipped off onto the beach below. Stone sped up and slid to a halt in front of me.

He screamed, "GET ON!"

I didn't hesitate. I jumped onto the bitch seat and put my arms around Stone's rock-hard torso. His light blue flannel shirt was soaked with sweat from his back as was his hair. Stone picked up his feet as we popped a wheelie and hammered it down the street back towards the hotels and shops. The other three were running towards us in between the building ahead. I looked up at the towering hotels as some spectators had taken seats on their balconies.

Stone reached into the holster on his side and pulled out a .45 Magnum. I stared blankly as he took aim and fired three times. All three attackers fell to the ground motionless. Stone twirled his gun and put it back in his holster. We rode past them and back onto the street.

"HANG ON!" Stone yelled over the roar of the motor.

I squeezed tighter and kept my head pressed between his shoulder blades. Stone applied the hand brake and slid the bike sideways onto the street so it was parallel with the sidewalk. He picked his foot up from off the ground and put it back on the clutch. The rear tire burned rubber as we sped off into the downtown area. I looked over Stone's shoulder into the rearview mirror: the black Crown Vic that had apparently held Jonny slid around a corner and was coming up fast on us.

Stone saw this too.

"GODDAMMIT," he yelled. "HANG ON REALLY TIGHT!"

Stone began to weave in and out of traffic. The sedan swerved around the cars, trucks, vans, bikes, and people to give us chase. I wondered if Jonny still existed on this planet. Who the hell were these guys? Better yet, just what the fuck did they want?

"Shit," I whispered.

Stone continued to swerve and weave like a skier does going down a treacherous mountain while being followed by molten lava. The rear windshield on the car beside us exploded. Stone cursed loudly as my worst fears became reality. Now they had guns and possibly no intention whatsoever of taking me, or Stone, alive.

Stone screamed, "SHOOT BACK, JESSIE, SHOOT BACK!"

I hesitated for a minute.

"SOMETIME TODAY, SWEETIE!"

A bullet slammed into the rear fender and blew out his taillight.

I grabbed his gun and turned my body sideways.

A guy in a suit was hanging out of the passenger side with a long hunting rifle. An empty cartridge flew out of the bullet chamber after he cocked it, ready to fire again. With one arm around Stone and the other trying to aim the gun, I raised it. The speed, velocity, air pressure, and all my red hair proved no assistance as I tried to level the sights out on the car itself. I pulled the hammer back and took a shot. The front right headlight shattered. This guaranteed a ticket from the local authorities if it never got fixed.

I aimed again, pulled the hammer back, and fired. A bullet penetrated the windshield. The Crown Vic swerved, forcing the passenger-side sniper to come back inside. I didn't want to kill the driver and cause a severe accident; anything that posed a danger to Jonny other than the obvious wasn't what I wanted, nor for anything to the surrounding bystanders. But this was getting out of control, and fast.

One last shot. I aimed for the radiator, which was extremely hard since it was a newer model Crown Victoria: the grill was smaller than the old-style Ford model cars. By the grace of God, I fired and hit the damn thing. The car slowed as the engine overheated and caught fire.

I put the gun back in Stone's holster. I put my arm back around him and rested my head between his shoulder blades again. We rode silently for a little while until we were out of the city and into the middle of nowhere away from the coast. I looked at my watch: we had been riding for about half an hour. Suddenly Stone veered off the road and into the woods. Caught surprised, I kept my head low to avoid the lashing branches and twigs. Stone slowed after a few minutes and I looked up. Sitting in a clearing was a black, well-polished, extremely fast-looking 2001 Pontiac Trans Am.

Dumbfounded, I asked, "That yours?"

"No," Stone said. "It's yours."

"Holy shit…"

"No time to explain. Get in. I'll drive."

Stone waited for me to slide off the bitch seat before hopping off. He grabbed the keys from his pocket and popped the hood of the car. I walked around to the passenger side as he produced some C4.

"What're you doing?" I asked.

Stone replied, "Something that's going to piss the owner off, whoever that is."

He applied the plastic explosive to the gas tank and set a small timer mechanism on it. I opened the door and flopped down onto the hot leather interior. Stone climbed in and said, "Shit it's hot in here."

He cranked the Pontiac as I buckled up. Stone stomped on the gas, shifted into gear, and sped off back towards the road. As we swerved onto the road, a loud explosion erupted behind us in the woods. Stone hammered it and we sped onward.

"Open up the glove compartment," he said.

I obeyed. Inside was an eye mask.

"An eye mask," I said.

"Put it on."

Reality caught up to me, "Wait a minute; just what the hell is going on here!"

"Sweetie, if I had time to explain I would. I will when we get 'there.' Right now, your family is in some deep shit."

I sat there motionless.

"Come on, Jessie! Now's not the time to be acting like your daddy."

"And what, pray tell, do you know about Daddy? Or better yet, the rest of the team for that matter?"

"Now's not the time. Now, for God's sake, put the mask on and get some sleep. It's going to be a long ride. Don't try to peek because then I'll know."

"And if I try to jump out?"

Stone rolled his eyes, "I've engaged the child safety locks and window locks. Don't even think of trying to overpower me, either. Now, would you _please_ put on your mask and go to _sleep!_"

I narrowed my eyebrows and frowned.

"Please, Jessica," he pleaded.

I finally put on the eye mask, welcoming the darkness. I leaned my head back onto the headrest.

Out of the blue, I remarked, "Mind explaining to me why you've been invading my sleep?"

Stone was silent for a minute, and then asked, "What?"

"I've heard you… sometimes seen you in my sleep."

"I can't explain that right now. Just sleep. Now that you're near me, you probably won't have the side effects."

I ripped off the eye mask. Stone was severely agitated now.

He demanded, "Dammit, now what?"

"Side effects!" I screamed. "From what!"

"I told you to wait. What the hell is so wrong with that?"

I folded my arms. Stone was starting to really piss me off.

He tried to be reasonable, "Look, Jessica, sweetie, I'll explain everything when we get to the compound. But, please, you've got to put on that mask. I can't let you see where we're going in the most inconspicuous way possible."

"Why? Why can't I see?"

Stone pulled out his .45 and pointed it at my head.

"Put your mask on now, or I'll fucking blow your head off your shoulders."

I got cocky, "You fucking moron, you ain't got any more bullets! I used the rest up!"

"What?"

Stone used his elbows to operate the steering wheel while he opened the chamber. He dumped out all the empty cartridges.

"Son of a bitch," he said.

We rode in silence for a few more minutes.

Stone finally said, "Well at least close your eyes, please. I'm sure you're tired."

I looked over at him and then back onto the road. We were approaching an interstate highway. He did have a point: I was pretty exhausted.

"Here," he said as he reached behind me and pulled out a small pillow. "Lean your seat back and get comfortable. It's going to be a few hours."

"I'm worried about Jonny," I said. "Not to mention the rest of the team."

"I know you are, sweetie. Not to make you any more concerned than you already are, but I don't think your family's in any real danger… yet. But they'll be expecting you."

Confused, I asked, "What're you talking about?"

"You'll find out in a few hours. Get some sleep first. This is going to be the biggest adventure yet."

I put the pillow behind my head and reclined my seat some more. A few minutes passed.

I asked, "Stone?"

"What?" He replied as he began to switch on the radio.

"Who are you, anyway? And what do you want with me?"

He sighed, "I'm nobody; just a soldier of fortune, so to speak. And you, well, you'll find out your role in this in a little while. You're probably not going to like it, but it's who you are, and there's no escaping it. Believe me: I've tried."

I nodded and leaned back some more.

For some reason, I could feel the hot tears running down my face.

"Thanks," I whispered before losing my grip on the world.

"You're welcome," Stone said.

I couldn't completely hear what he said next, but it sounded like "Welcome back." Welcome back to what?

I slept soundly.

The Trans Am that supposedly was mine – even though I had never seen it, bought one, or driven it – had a good suspension and handling. I began to stir awake when we rolled over a speed bump. I yawned and raised the seat back upright. Stone was hanging halfway out the window punching in some code on a keypad.

Looking around me, I could see pastures for miles. However, where we were currently idling, it was no pasture. Giant twelve-foot high brick walls went on for what seemed like an eternity housing some sort of unforeseen complex. The path was a long curvy paved road that would lead one to believe that this was a plantation mansion. Extremely heavy-looking iron gates barricaded visitors from the outside. Stone swiped a keycard after punching in a code to signal that the gates be opened. A giant clang and they slowly opened inward. Stone sat back down in his seat and noticed that I had woke up.

"You must've been tired," He said.

"I haven't slept in months," I replied.

"That was a four hour trip we just took. It's about seven in the evening now."

After looking around, I asked, "Where are we?"

"Yarborough, Georgia. Don't bother looking it up on a map: it's not in any registry. This place doesn't exist."

"What is this place?"

Stone said gravely, "Your employer."

Suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck stood erect.

"Wh… what are you saying?"

"Wait," he said.

We pulled forward down the paved path. Beyond the trees and the wall was a small open pasture. Horses grazed peacefully as the sun slowly sank; sooner or later, they would be led back to their stalls. Lots of dogwood trees and cobblestone paths lead around the plantation. The path made a circle around a fountain in front of a mansion that belonged in the Civil War era. Stone pulled the car around to the front, put it in park, and killed the engine.

"Now," he said. "You do not know how to get here, nor will you know. Because when we leave, I'm driving, and you _will_ be blindfolded."

"What is this?" I asked.

"Through your life, have you ever wandered why you're so good with a weapon, why you have the yearning to see action, why you can stand large amounts of stress, make cutthroat decisions on the fly, and why you haven't asked too many questions as to why a strange man like me is taking you along for a ride while your lover has been kidnapped and your family is possibly in danger?"

I looked at him blankly. What the hell was going on inside me?

"Thought so," Stone said. "Oh yeah, I lied: the child safety locks are not engaged. You can open the door."

I unbuckled my seatbelt, rolled my eyes, and got out.

"You still didn't answer my question," I persisted.

Stone pulled out a cigarette from his shirt pocket and lit it.

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

"I don't know: should I?"

"I saved your life, didn't I? Seems like you owe me at least that much."

"Where did they take Jonny?"

Stone shrugged, "Sweetie, I don't know. But chances are back to that research facility that your folks went to. How much did Benton tell you about it?"

I began to walk up the steps beneath the towering marble columns.

"Not much at all," I said.

"Figures," Stone said. "Well, come on. Let's go inside."

I turned around, "Can I ask you one more thing?"

"I guess so: shoot."

"How much do you know about me? About the Quest team?"

Stone simply laughed.

The chills shot down my spine faster than the speed of sound. Somewhere inside, my soldier instincts awakened.

_Who am I_, I wondered.

The plantation mansion was huge. The outside walls were a pearl white and freshly painted. Black trim around the windows and doorways gave it a classic Southern appeal. Stone and I stepped across the threshold into the foyer. The hardwood floors echoed our footsteps as they proudly gleamed with their wax jobs. The inside was lavishly decorated with only the utmost class. Antiques worth more money than I could ever imagine were at every turn. Overall, it was like stepping into a time machine going back a century. Stone took one last puff on his cigarette before smothering it in a free-standing ashtray next to the front door.

Stone motioned up towards the ceiling, "Look up there."

I looked upwards to be greeted with an inconspicuous security camera.

He advertised, "If you need surveillance, RadioShack is the place. Hang a right at this first room across from the staircase."

We walked forward and turned into a parlor. The peach walls and warm fireplace seemed inviting. A baby grand piano stood in one corner while quarter-century easy chairs were angled in front of the hearth. Two gentlemen occupied the chairs. Stone walked forward and shook hands with both, commenting on how nice it was to see them again.

"I say, Dennis," said the one on the left. "Who is this fine young lady that you have brought to us?"

The one on the right stood and turned as the one of the left did. The two were dressed in rather dapper gray Armani suits. When in comparison, Stone looked a little out of place hanging around with these guys. Stone turned and motioned for me to come deeper into the room.

"Don't be bashful, Sweetie," he said.

I walked forward into the close presence of the three. I shook hands with leftie first, then the one on the right.

"Why, she's not even a full adult yet. Tell me, what is your name dear child?" Rightie said with a thick English accent.

"Don't tell me you don't remember this girl, Carl," said Stone. "I take that back: you _are_ an old fart. This is Roger Bannon's daughter."

"Really?" Leftie said, with a thick Irish accent. "You're serious? Yes… I can see it now: she has her father's hardened face."

I didn't know whether to feel dignified or embarrassed.

"That's a good thing, Jessica," Stone said.

That answered that.

"Who are you?" I asked.

The one named "Carl" spoke first, "Ah, how rude. We have not yet introduced ourselves. You may know me as Carl; nothing more, nothing less."

His smile managed to break through his withered face. Carl's black hair was neatly combed forward and a light shine applied. I suspected he must be in his mid-to-early fifties, kind of like Stone.

I turned to the other one, "And you?"

The red-haired Irishman was, I'd say, about a decade younger than the other two geezers in the room. His face was soft and jovial, yet there was something in his eyes that made you _not_ want to have your back to him.

"I am known as McClellan, lass. It's an honor to finally see you again after all these years."

I raised an eyebrow, "All these years?"

McClellan shrugged it off; told me not to worry about it. I looked back at Stone, "Now what?"

Stone turned to the others, saying, "Are they ready?"

Carl nodded his head, "The board room is ready. Everyone is here now. Let us proceed."

Carl turned to me, "Come, Miss Bannon, we have a lot to discuss in a short amount of time."

I folded my arms, "No shit."

We walked down the hallway to a small broom closet. Carl reached inside and flipped some sort of switch. Suddenly, the back wall of the closet slid sideways, revealing a small service elevator. Carl stepped aside, "Age before beauty. Oh yes, and Stone? For your 'old fart' remark, you can blow it out your ass, old chum."

I stepped into the elevator car. It was well polished; beautiful wood stain and sleek railing all around it. It was large enough to fit about four or five people in it. The others stepped in and stood in front of me. Stone pressed the down button. The door slid shut and the car's pulley system released, lowering us into the depths of unknowingness.

"How old are you now, Jessica?" McClellan asked.

"I'll be eighteen in June," I said.

"Ah," he said. "Only four months away: I'll be you're excited."

I simply nodded. I thought about Jonny and the rest of the family. Were they all right? For some reason, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get my emotions excited, my heart racing. Something kept me from going overboard. The elevator car let out a small ding after it came to a stop. The door slid open revealing a long, cold hallway. Fluorescent lights hang freely in their ballasts and let out a soft hum. The walls were uninviting and gray, much like what this day had been. Everyone stepped out; I stood to the side. Stone turned to me, "Gotta use the bathroom? Do it now."

I looked around, "Where is it?"

Stone pointed down the hallway towards an intersection.

"It's down there on the right. I'm sure you can figure it out: it's the one with the room with the label of 'WOMEN' on it," he said.

I sighed and walked down the hallway. My sneakers made a soft clack on the cement floor. There wasn't a speck of dust to be found; someone must be allergic to it. I turned into the women's restroom and stepped inside. It was more inviting than the hallway: bright pastel cream colored walls and green stalls. Like the hallway, the cleanup and maintenance was top-notch.

After finishing my business, I stood at the row of sinks. A giant mirror went from one end to the other. I washed my face and looked at myself. The same questions ran through my mind, yet I still didn't have any answers. From the looks of things, I had a binary choice: do as they wanted me to, or curl up into a ball and start sobbing. Then maybe they would take a little pity on me and shoot me. Often I ask myself, "How did I wind up in this mess?" What if these people were lying? What if the Quest team wasn't in any real danger? What if they were looking for me back at the hotel room this second?

What if I was lying to myself? Who the hell were those guys and what did they want with me? Or Jonny? But then again, they probably took Jonny as collateral to get me to come for him. Then they'd have me right where they wanted me. Did I really have a choice?

"Come on, Jessica, let's go," Stone said. He was holding the door open and motioning for me to get my ass in gear.

I washed my face, dried it off, and then exited the restroom.

"You don't have a choice," he said out of the blue.

I stopped dead in my tracks, "Huh?"

"I was reading your face. You were probably asking yourself if you had a choice in the matter. The answer is no."

"How the hell…"

"Look Ponchita," Stone started before I interrupted.

"Wait… what did you just call me?"

Stone looked baffled before realizing what he just said.

He shook his head, "No, nothing… never mind, let's go."

I grabbed his arm, "No, Goddammit, I want to know what the fuck you just called me!"

Stone twisted his arm out of my grasp, saying, "And I told you to forget about it! Let's go."

Stone started to walk away; I followed, yelling, "Just what the hell do you know about me? About my dad? About the Quest team?"

He said nothing. We met back up with McClellan and Carl.

Carl looked at the two of us, "Shall we continue?"

Stone nodded. The four of us continued down the hallway. We were not alone in these catacombs: guys in suits and lab coats wandered from room to room. Some carried clipboards, some firearms, and some the weight of the world. Finally we arrived at a giant vault-looking door. Superman would have a hard time ripping it off its hinges; it looked like the frame had a hard time holding it on its hinges. Carl and McClellan stood at opposite sides of the door while Stone stood in the center.

Stone said, "Input code on one. Three… two… one… go."

All three punched in a numeric code on their respective keypads in unison.

"Slide cards on one. Three… two… one… go."

All three slid a magnetic key card through the card reader next to the keypad.

"Retinal scan on one. Three… two… one… go."

Finally, all three put their faces up to the retinal scanner above each pad. The computer made a couple of beeping noises and a gigantic latch was heard releasing. The wheel on the vaulted door began to spin; everyone stepped back. The titanium-alloy door slowly swung outward, allowing us to step inside. I was the last to get inside as the door slowly swung back into place and locked itself. We were in a foyer of some sort. Heavily armed guards stood at every corner of the room. I looked on the right wall where a gigantic banner hung: a fox with a dagger in its mouth. The label "FOXHOUND" circled around it. Another banner was on the wall in front of me: on it, a picture of the United Nations logo with the word "TRAIN" around it. The acronym was spelled out below it: Tactical Reconnaissance and Infiltration Network.

Two ivory doors with golden handles separated us from the meeting room. One guard opened it up for everyone to enter. I stepped inside ahead of everyone into the room. A long metal table stood in the center of a cold boardroom. The walls were like those in the hallways before: dark, solemn, and full of secrets. Around the table, there were fourteen of them: seven on each side. Each person was of a different nationality, a different race, different gender, and different age. In unison all of them stared at me. Silently, each one stood up from their chairs.

Stone nudged me forward, saying, "Have a seat, Jessie."

I took an empty seat next to a middle-aged Russian lady. Everyone reclaimed their seats as soon as I scooted up to the table. The Russian lady looked at me and smiled; she had beautiful velvet hair and sparkling emerald eyes. Stone, McClellan, and Carl took seats where available.

"It's very good to see you again Dennis," one of the members said.

Others agreed. Stone nodded his head, "Yes, yes, I know."

Then he turned to me, "Everyone, do you remember Jessica Bannon?"

The Russian lady turned to me, in her thick accent, asked, "You're Roger and Estella's daughter?"

I nodded.

Whispers began to erupt. Stone continued, "I believe it's time. She's old enough now."

An Italian gentleman about Daddy's age asked, "She's eighteen?"

"Yes," Stone said. "And, as you know, we have a situation on our hands. We agreed that she would be the perfect one for this. No virtual missions, no in-depth training – why train on stuff she already knows?"

Another member asked, "Weapons and equipment OSP?"

"Yes," said Carl.

Someone else spoke up, "And method of communication will be Codec?"

"Yes; push-to-talk communications via cellular phones can be monitored. These guys were smart enough to stockpile scanners."

Stone turned to me once again, "Jessica, are you ready to discover what's going on?"

I gulped. My stomach turned inside out. Tears began to fill my eyes. I nodded my head as fear took hold of my entire body. I was paralyzed with emotion.

The lights dimmed, and an overhead projector turned on.

The title of the first PowerPoint presentation was "Les Miserable Teribles."


	4. Chapter Three: Echo

Chapter Three:

Echo

Stone stood up and next to the projector screen. He pulled out a pointer and began to click through the PowerPoint slides.

"The perfect soldier is always something governments and provinces are always trying to attain. One with superior sight, superior hearing, 'soldier instincts' that takes years to develop on the battlefield and is not found in every grunt. No amount of training can make you the invincible force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. But… we can get damn near close to it. Since the beginning of World War II, there have been superior fighters that have risen above your average infantry. They possessed special talents or abilities: some synthetic, some natural. Because of this, one would think that they would stand a better chance during the tides of battle.

"But you are wrong. In fact, sometimes these special abilities become liabilities, and ultimately the downfall of the being. We have discovered this from Big Boss, the ultimate warrior. It has been speculated that Big Boss' fighting and survival abilities in urban warfare come naturally from a 'soldier gene.' He adapted to new fighting techniques and styles more quickly and efficiently than your average recruit. He managed to bring down the original COBRA unit himself, and put a stop to the Shagohad, a machine with the ability to launch nuclear ballistic missiles for extreme distances, spanning entire oceans and continents undetected.

"Big Boss managed to defeat his mentor – Boss – hence earn the title greater than he, Big Boss. Big Boss formed FOXHOUND afterwards to combat terrorism and provide services for the then-known-as-Patriots. Enter the Les Miserable Teribles project: a cloning experiment to try and recreate who Big Boss was. Two children were produced – twins – who rose through the ranks of FOXHOUND to earn their titles Liquid Snake and Solid Snake. FOXHOUND became a renegade faction a few years ago, being led by Liquid Snake to take control of a research facility in Alaska. What Liquid didn't know was we had a backup precaution just in case he got out of control. Solid Snake was a vector for a virus called FOXDIE; Liquid and some of the others were the recipients of this deadly infection. It would cause a heart attack once passed from vector to victim. We sent in an agent beforehand to make sure everything went as planned. Solid Snake completed his mission, destroying Liquid and the rest of the renegade FOXHOUND.

"Because of that, we speculated that other members of the Les Miserable Teribles experiment should be at their prime age to begin assignments. Originally, we were only going to stick to male subjects. And then, one day… Roger Bannon and his wife, Estella discovered they were going to have a child. The OSI operative was approached and asked if he would like to participate in the LMT project. Mr. Bannon agreed as did his wife."

My jaw dropped as I began to cry. I buried my head in my arms on the table and started trying to deny it to myself. Inside me, I could feel the soldier awakening.

"We injected Big Boss' genes into the womb. We monitored the development of the embryo and into childbirth. Afterwards, we kept tabs on the result for the next eighteen years. From what we've seen in the adolescence era, results were positive for increased stamina, quick thinking, and other traits that you would find in a soldier."

Stone walked over to my chair. He stroked my hair as to get my attention. I leaned back and looked up at him.

"Jessica," he said. "I visited you, your mother and father in the hospital after you were born. You looked so fragile then, but I knew through the trials and tribulations you would become strong. I managed to hold you once; I said to you to never forget who you are, or who you're meant to be. I knew that others would probably try to hide the true 'you,' but you can never escape from yourself. I believe _that_ is what's been haunting you for the past several months. Your inner self knows it's time. It's time to wake up."

Stone pulled me up with his weathered, beaten hands and hugged me like any father would hug a daughter. I wept into his flannel shirt as he tried his best to comfort me. Finally, he let go, allowing me to sit back down.

"Jessica," Stone said. "We are the La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo."

Wiping my eyes, I asked, "What's that?"

"We are the true people that hold power in the world. We control the wealth, influence government decisions, provide order in midst of chaos. We control elections – or in some cases, 'correct' elections when necessary. We are the ones who make the world revolve."

Pointing to me, he said, "You are one of the newest members of FOXHOUND, a part of TRAIN, the Tactical Reconnaissance and Infiltration Network."

I looked up, "Why me? Why couldn't I just be normal like everyone else? WHY DID YOU FUCKING DO THIS TO ME!"

I stormed away from the table, knocking my chair over in the process. The members simply looked concerned but still let Stone do the talking. I walked over to the corner and reevaluated my life's accomplishments and tried to digest what I had just learned. All my life… something had been different. It wasn't simple tomboyish acts; it was because of specific strands of DNA injected into me while I was being created. These people stepped into the line of God's work and added their own little modifications. What the hell was I to do now?

I weighed my options. But then I realized it was a binary choice.

I could either follow through willingly. Or follow through forcefully.

_Who the hell is this talking to me?_ I wondered. Something inside was taking control, only I wouldn't relinquish it.

Stone's placed his hand on my shoulder. The heat in my face subsided as my anger simmered. I turned around and faced him. Those daunting blue eyes fell upon my weakened emerald.

I gulped, and asked, "How do you know Doctor Quest?"

Stone sighed, saying, "I cannot say now. What you must do, Jessica, is prepare yourself for your first mission."

"Mission?"

"Yes, your mission. In case you haven't forgotten, there are people that need _your_ help, and only _you_ can help them."

"What if I don't want to be apart of this?"

Stone shook his head, "You've been drafted, Jessica. There's no turning back. You're in too deep now as it is. Take this into consideration: I've watched you from day one, ever since you were born. How hard do you think it would be to find you? No matter how many times you change your name, acquire fake IDs, dye your hair, move to the mountains and live in solitude, I can find you. _We_ can find you. Do you understand?"

I didn't doubt Stone. From the seriousness in his voice to the underground facility beneath a southern plantation, he wasn't shitting me.

I sniffed and wiped my nose.

"What now?" I asked.

Stone turned back to the table, saying, "Let me ask you this, Jessica: have you ever killed anyone before?"

"No."

"Get ready, you're going to. How sneaky are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"How good is your stealth?"

I thought for a minute, "I guess I can sneak."

"We'll put that to the test. First, we're going to go over a briefing of what your mission is. Just remember: after this day, you're no longer the same Jessica Bannon you were when you woke up this morning. This, like every mission after this, could be the last thing you ever do in life. Like all members of FOXHOUND, the world is counting on you, whether they know it or not. Skills are developed with practice, so maybe some time in the VR missions afterwards wouldn't hurt. Ideally, we would've already completed the entire course, but time is of the essence here."

"Shit," I grumbled.

"I'm sorry sweetie," Stone said. "We'll begin with what you're going to be dealing with."

The PowerPoint presentation changed.

"First and foremost, the title of this operation is 'Operation Derail.' Over the past several months, a private government contractor has been developing a new type of gun. I know you're shocked, but this isn't your average firearm. This thing has the ability to shoot through buildings: steel, concrete, anything that would stop a normal lead bullet this thing tears through like wet tissue paper.

"Like in the videogames, it's aptly called, a 'Rail Gun.' Dr. Quest was called upon to witness a testing of it and to double-check some of the specifications to make sure this thing actually worked. Based on our informants, it does, and that's _not_ good. The board has decided that this weapon must be destroyed along with any piece of information that could lead to its development again. People who develop this must be dealt with accordingly."

"Killed?" I shrieked.

"I'm afraid so. As ruthless as it seems, the world doesn't need that kind of firepower roaming about. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this thing's going to be immediately duplicated and sold to militias and other governments. The advancement of technology is a dangerous thing, Jessica; we're just trying to stay one step ahead of everyone."

A picture of a beautiful, raven-haired woman came on screen. She looked like she belonged in the modeling business rather than in something like this…

"This is Doctor Elena Yaegar; she is the program's director at Carpenter-Carver Human Advancement Research and Development Facilities. This is her pet project, which makes it even more dangerous. This woman is evil beyond any words describable. She has martial arts training in various styles and forms of close quarters combat. She is also believed to be heavily armed and dangerous. Dr. Yaegar's life must be ended before millions of others pay for her dreams.

"Your mission: infiltrate the research facility undetected."

Blueprints of the facility appeared on the next slide.

"Secondly: destroy the Rail Gun and any information system that contains even the word in it. We believe it would be in everyone's best interest if the facility as a whole was destroyed. We'll leave the method up to you.

"Thirdly: destroy Dr. Yaegar and all of her personnel files. We've learned from our past mistakes and aren't willing to take any chances any longer.

"Lastly, and most importantly: destroy any resistance you face between you and your mission objective. There's no telling who's been recruited to protect the good Doctor. Do you understand your objectives?"

I shrugged, "Do I have a choice?"

Stone shook his head, "Really Jessica, cut the bullshit. Yes or no…"

"Yes," I sighed.

"One more thing: I'll be accompanying you to provide back up, and to make sure you don't fuck us over. Wait outside and we'll go suit up. I'll only be a minute."

I stood up and took one last room at everyone around me. They all looked up at me in grave silence. Apparently, they weren't fucking around. This was some heavy stuff, and if they had confidence that I could do it, then I might as well see what happens. Life couldn't get any shittier as it already was. Or at least, that's what I kept telling myself. The Russian lady that sat beside me wished me good luck and smiled gently. I thanked her before leaving the secured room.

Stone finally left the room fifteen minutes after I did. As we left back to the corridors, he was quiet. I walked behind silently, too. I mean, what else could I say? What else could I ask? I pondered on what I would say to Daddy, much less everyone else. Did anyone else know about this? There were so many questions and so many people not answering.

We entered a locker room. Gray lockers and wooden benches: it was like stepping back into Rockport High. Stone motioned for me to follow him on down one of the aisles. We stopped in front of a locker with a heavy-looking secured padlock on it. Stone produced a key from his pocket and detached the lock. The door swung open with a small squeak; Stone stepped aside and let me look inside.

Inside, there was a two piece uniform. It was clad with a rubbery-like material; the color was a dark, polished navy blue to the point it was almost black and didn't seem to reflect light very well. Below it was a belt with a few pouches and a holster. To the right of that: a pair of boots made out of the same material as my suit.

"This is your sneaking suit," Stone said. "Take care of it: these things cost about half-a-million to produce. It has a new type of Kevlar built into it: it's a lot lighter than your traditional bulletproof vest so you can move a lot more freely. There's a pair of gloves on the shelf above that. I'll be on the other side suiting up, so holler at me if you need any help getting this on."

I nodded as Stone strolled to the other side of the lockers. I stared at the suit before me, and thought, _the new look of Jessica Bannon_. I rubbed my eyes and sat down on the cold, hard wooden bench to take off my shoes. Stone began cursing; said that he needed to go get another key. He left the locker room, leaving me alone to my thoughts.

"What a fine mess I've gotten myself in to," I said aloud.

I took off my sneakers, stuffed my socks in them, and then threw them aside. I pulled off my, now aptly worn, Fruit of the Loom cotton t-shirt. It stunk of sweat and sand. I threw it away as Stone walked around the corner. At this point I didn't care who saw me in all my glory. Stone smirked and commented, "Nice tits."

I shot him a bird.

"Please, Sweetie, I'm an old man. Lose the bra and panties: this thing has the built-in 'necessities.'"

I sighed and did as I was told. The tile floor was getting colder by the minute as Stone returned to his locker and began fumbling with it. I took the top off the hangar and slipped into it. For a sneaking suit, it was actually quite comfortable. A little strange feeling at first, but it was flexible. The pants reminded me of a funky pair of slacks. By the time I finished lacing up my boots and attaching my belt, Stone had finally gotten into his locker. I walked around to the other side to see if there was a brush I could use for my hair.

Stone was standing there in his boxers. For an old guy as he claimed, he could probably beat any bodybuilder's ass without missing a beat. A tattoo of the Marines was on his right bicep with the word "STONE" placed neatly under it in a banner. He looked over at me, "You look good; I'm impressed."

I asked, "What're we going to do after this is over?"

"Well," he said. "If you live long enough, you're going to start your new life. I'm going to be your mentor for a little while until I think you're fully able to start out on your own. You won't be able to return to your family, none of them."

"Where will I live?"

"Anywhere you choose. We'll get you when we need you."

"So I'm at your beck and call," I placed my hands on my hips. "That what you're saying?"

"I'm afraid so. Pay's good; you'll be assigned a private account. But the old life that you were once accustomed to: that's gone. Forever. You can _never_ go back, no matter how hard you try."

I sat down on the bench next to Stone's clothes. His wallet had fallen open, revealing a family portrait. He must've sensed me looking at it, since he remarked, "I haven't seen them in years."

I looked up, "What happened?"

"To be honest," Stone began. "I don't really know. I used to be a Marine, as you could've guessed; Lieutenant Junior Grade. I'm not authorized to name what station I belonged to, but let's just say we were involved in things that weren't something you would want to see in the papers or on Yahoo! News. One day, after coming home from a reconnaissance in Greenland, my wife and daughter were gone. No explanation given, no trace of struggle or anything. It was like they just upped and left, leaving me behind. The La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo picked me up, saying that I was working with them now. They said to the world, I would be dead. They kept their word by destroying my house. I heard it was a nice funeral, but it didn't really matter to me then. Turned out they had selected me long before, right after I had left boot camp, in fact. About 1971, I was incorporated into FOXHOUND. I've lingered around since it was supposedly 'disbanded' – but nothing truly breaks apart – and have carried on ever since. I've been all over the world as a Soldier of Fortune, so to speak. Strangely, a lot of stuff I've done lately have been down at the local level. Oh well, it makes a living…"

"I'm sorry," I said. "Even though, there's probably no need to apologize."

"You're learning," he replied. "A true mark of a soldier is when they realize that they have control over nothing other than the gun in their hands battling against the odds."

I looked up, "Can I still visit them some?"

"We'll see," Stone said as he got into his suit. It looked identical to mine, only a little beefier. "But don't get your hopes up just yet. The mission hasn't even started yet."

I nodded.

"Here," Stone said as he tossed me a small black box with earpiece.

I grabbed it and looked it over, asking, "What's this?"

"It's called a Codec. That special earpiece will stimulate the small bones in your ear so only you can hear it. It carries the vibrations of your voice so there's no need for a boom microphone. It operates kind of like an FRS radio: you select which frequency you want to contact, and queue it up like a normal unit. It'll beep whenever you have a call waiting. When we get out on the field, we'll test it out."

Stone finished suiting up. Afterwards, we proceeded to an armory that was directly connected to the locker room. Stone handed me a pair of binoculars, a survival knife, and a Springfield Armory PC9111 .45 1911-A1 semiautomatic handgun. The cold, black Teflon coated steel shined brilliantly and magnificently. I cocked it, loading the first round of death into its chamber. Stone took one and did likewise.

"All other equipment will be OSP," he said.

Perplexed, I asked, "OSP?"

"Onsite Procurement."

We finished checking our gear and headed out. I slipped the 1911 into a side holster and two extra clips into my back pouches. My knife was secure in a holster that strapped across my chest. As we walked down the hallway, my boots squeaked with every beat of my heart.

I tried to hold back the tears as I denied myself and picked up my cross.

We rode a service elevator back to the upper ground. Stone said that my car would be waiting inside the laboratory grounds once the mission was complete, although he was unclear on how it would manage to magically find its way there. We would travel by a small jet to a destination outside of Nags Head and then make our way down to the base. Stone asked me how good were my scuba diving abilities were; I said, "Good enough."

Keeping to his word of secrecy, I was blindfolded after entering the jet. These people weren't taking any chances of giving me _any_ indication on where this secret base was located under a Southern plantation. We rode in silence like back in the car. Stone kept asking me if I was getting airsick: typical father-figure. I did have to get up and pee a few times. This suit reminded me of an aerobics outfit from hell.

After about half an hour of flight, I felt the small craft land with a small thud. Stone led me off of the craft and onto the tarmac where he removed my blind. We were standing out on a runway surrounded by nothing but fields and trees. As the plane took off again to probably return to its source, Stone and I began to walk. The darkness of night shrouded us except for the runway lights.

"Where are we?" I asked, knowing it was a dumb question.

He stared ahead, saying, "Near Nags Head. Not many people – if any – know this little air strip exists."

At the end of the runway was an old Ford F-150, long bed and powerful V8 engine. Its blue interior and exterior made it seem a little awkward for going to a mission. Stone said it had character; not everything the movies portray is true. Stone walked around to the passenger side. I stopped him, "Aren't you driving?"

He shook his head, "Nope, I want _you _to drive."

Aghast, I stood back, "M… me?"

"Yeah you. What, you've never driven a truck before?"

"Not this size… no."

"Jessica, don't tell me you can fly a plane, operate a boat, and fire a gun, but you can't drive a simple old pickup truck?"

"Well… I guess I could give it a shot."

The doors creaked open as we climbed into the blue felt bench seat. The keys were in the ignition.

"Buckle up," Stone said. "Follow the dirt path over there; take a right at the end of that."

I cranked up the old pickup. The engine turned over and roared loudly before I put it into gear and drove off. The mighty truck tore down the dirt path as Stone grabbed the shit handle above his door.

I looked over at him, "Too fast for ya?"

"Nah, I'm all right," he said with a small grin.

Finally we reached the end of the dirt path. I swerved a right onto the main road and sped off. The beach was to my left; the city lights were ahead a couple of miles in the distance. After about ten minutes, Stone said, "Pull off the road down here on the left."

I obeyed.

The truck went off road and down the hill. We slammed into the sand and down the beach. The moonlight shimmered across the ocean ahead. I brought the truck to a stop in front of a small inflatable craft. Stone motioned for me to kill the engine and got out. I turned off the headlights and left the truck. The inflatable raft was black and had a silent motor equipped on it.

"No turning back now," Stone said. "Get in, I'll cast us off."

I climbed into the raft and sat down. Stone pushed it out onto the water as I started the motor. Stone took control of the steering; I scooted aside. We tore through water seamlessly.

"Do you know where you're going?" I finally asked.

Stone looked at me, "Yeah, why?"

"Just making sure."

I checked the scuba equipment that was in the raft. It looked military grade. Suddenly, Stone brought the raft to a screeching halt.

"Gear up," he said.

I looked all around us into the depths of nothing, "This is where it is?"

"We're about to find out."

Stone killed the motor and we slipped into our scuba gear. Stone checked my connections and tightened my straps before I went overboard. He followed shortly. Under the water, Stone grabbed my hand as we began to descend as fast as possible. After getting about three yards away, the raft above exploded.

There was definitely no going back now.

The suit managed to repel water very well. The rubber masks were also made out of the same material. I managed to stay warm and fight my way through the pressure of the ocean. After a few minutes, some sort of underwater bay area came into view. Stone guided me with his flashlight as we came upon the facility.

It was massive.

The underwater submarine bay was about the length of a football field. Reinforced steel barriers and beams managed to keep the structure stable. Concrete lined the walls and poured cement made the floors. Security cameras were everywhere along with automated turret systems. Stone kept me by his side as we swam inside up to a nearby loading dock. There were no subs harbored in here yet – thank God – but there were some maintenance technicians. Stone turned off his flashlight as we swam under the cargo bay into a large drainage pipe.

We swam forward until we reached an air pocket right below the bay. The small square area was lit with a glaring red service light. Stone and I surfaced. We removed our respirators.

"Ditch the tanks, but keep your mask on until we get up there. Understand?" he asked.

I nodded.

Together, we unstrapped our tanks and let them sink to the bottom of the pipe. We held our breath and swam back out towards the mouth of the pipe. The water was fiercely cold on my face; it drowned my nose and hurt my lips. Stone stepped aside and motioned for me to go first. I swam out towards a set of stairs leading up to the bay floor. Stone stayed in the pipe and gave me a thumb up. I swallowed hard and surfaced quietly. I looked back over at Stone: he motioned that I draw my knife and get ready for some action. I reached into the holster strapped across my chest and removed my survival knife. Stone was now giving A-OK hand signals.

Placing both hands on the first step, I hoisted myself out of the water. None of the technicians seemed to notice me; they continued working in their blue jumpsuits and orange hard hats. I took one last look at Stone… who disappeared. He was no longer watching me from the mouth of the pipe.

"Shit," I muttered.

I climbed up the steps, crouching low. Overhead fluorescent lights beat down upon us in the bay. I could hear some technicians talking, others working diligently at workstations and forklifts. I made it to the top of the flight and surveyed the bay. Rows and rows of palettes, storage tanks and buildings, and lots of security. I slid behind one of the first stack of palettes I saw and peered around the corner. Nobody noticed my entrance. Where the hell was Stone?

_Alright Jessie girl, time for action._

I peered around towards the back and saw a service elevator. The only problem I faced was the small amount of armed guards in the area. They patrolled up and down the rows; each one was equipped with an M5 and what looked to be flash-bang grenades. They were dressed in black camouflage uniforms and donned headsets connected to radios on their belts.

I picked up a nearby stone.

I immediately dropped it after the first explosion erupted halfway down the dock.

A couple of bodies were flung into the ocean and to the other side of the bay area. I pulled out my gun and peered around. Guards were running everywhere as alarms sounded. Everyone was screaming and running. They believed it to be an accident, but I knew better.

Stone had snuck around to the other side.

Another explosion rocked the area again. More screaming and alarms. Everyone around me began to run in every direction. Now was my chance. I looked down at the service elevator to see it rising. Stone was taking off his mask and cocking his gun. He pointed to the wall I was at before he disappeared into the upper floor. I ran down the wall, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, until I came to a set of double-doors. I pushed onto the handle and opened the door. After it slammed shut behind me, I removed my mask and threw it on the ground. I cocked my 1911 and looked down the hallway ahead.

Operation Derail was commencing.

The hallways were lined with smooth green wallpaper with a wooden trim. The floor was buffed and waxed. Recessed lighting provided a soft porcelain glow from their housing. The doors were electronically controlled; reminded me of Star Trek. A small plate stating the room name and number was posted next to each doorway. From the looks of things, I was alone.

For now.

I kept to the wall and made my way down the long hallway. An adjoining hallway connected after the first door on the left. At the end of the hall, the passage made a right turn into God knows what.

Suddenly, there was a beeping in my ear.

My Codec was being called.

I reached around the back and pressed the first button I found. For my sake, it was the right one. Stone's voice came on the air, "Ponchita, you there?"

I stayed next to the wall, "Yeah… wait, did you just call me Ponchita again?"

"Huh? Oh… never mind that. Listen, where are you at now."

I described my location to him. Stone replied that I was currently in the library wing of the compound.

He then said, "I'm sorry we couldn't obtain any blueprints of this place. I've been here a time or two; I'll try to guide you the best I can should you get lost. Do you understand how to use your Codec yet?"

"Some," I glanced down at the small device. "It's like tuning a digital FM radio."

"Yeah, I know. Just tune in the frequency for whoever you want to speak to. My frequency is 149.24. Can you remember that?"

"I guess so."

"Good. I'm on the… holy shit…"

Stone trailed off. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

"What? What is it?" I demanded.

"Gotta go… SHIT…"

And then there was silence. I looked ahead and made my way around to the adjacent hallway. I stood behind a floor plant as some researchers made their way out of one of the rooms. In their lab coats, they looked defenseless. Unfortunately, a trained eye could see the bulge of a weapon underneath. Apparently, Dr. Yaegar didn't trust her employees to rely solely on the security implemented. I slid around the plant but bumped into the damn thing, knocking it over.

The two researchers flung around, drawing their guns and taking cover to the best of their abilities in the doorway.

"Who is that!" One shouted.

The other responded, "Hell if I know! Hey! Drop your weapons and come out!"

I stayed behind the wall and listened. These guys had been trained to not take any chances with suspicious looking characters, which included me. I heard the soft clack of dress shoes onto the smooth tile floor. I put my gun back into its holster and waited. The first one rounded the corner and kept his .38 special trained on me.

"Get up," he commanded. "Keep your hands behind your head."

I slowly rose and interlocked my hands behind my head. He stepped up close, "Who are you?"

I simply stared into his empty brown eyes. His short blonde hair started to perspire.

My captor was getting annoyed, "I said 'who are you!'"

The other one called something out. The researcher turned his head.

Now was my chance.

Using a technique Daddy taught me, I grabbed the researcher's hand and twisted his wrist to where the gun was pointing back at his face and bent his elbow. His reflexes taking control, the researcher pulled the trigger. His throat exploded out behind his neck. The empty look was now filled with surprise as the man gurgled and fell to the floor to make a crumpled heap. I immediately withdrew my .45 and took a shot at the other researcher who was now firing wildly in my direction. Lead slammed into the wall behind me and on the floor. My first shot missed; I took cover behind the bend. My target took refuge in the room he had previously occupied.

I guess this was my incentive for dealing with everybody: kill or be killed.

Lucky for me, although this is questionable, they were lousy shots.

I aimed and waited for the bastard to poke his head around the corner again. He didn't disappoint me. The lab rat, in a desperate attempt to run, bolted from the sanctity of his room. I shot him in between the shoulder blades, severing his spine. His body fell sideways and crashed into the nearby wall. I stood upright and twirled my gun.

Then I caught myself.

What the hell was I doing?

"Oh… my God…" I said as I leaned back onto the wall.

I wasn't a killer. The adrenaline was getting the best of me; that, or the "soldier gene" inside of me. I didn't have time to stop and weigh the options to dealing with these guys who were even more dangerous than your average grunt. But here I was, taking people's lives without remorse. I slid down to the floor again, next to the body of my first encounter. I looked over at him: the look of shock was still plastered all over his face.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, knowing it wouldn't do much good.

My Codec started to beep.

I tried to get my nerves back in order as I pressed the button to receive.


	5. Chapter 4: When All is Said and Done

Chapter Four:

When All Is Said and Done

Stone's voice came over the air, "Are you okay sweetie?"

I drifted for a second before saying, "Yeah… yeah, I'm all right."

"I just saw what happened. Look up to your right."

I looked up to be greeted with a metal-cased security camera.

"I managed to make my way to one of the security rooms," Stone said. "I'm trying to cause a big enough mess so that they can't coordinate a counterstrike against us. I brought down most of their communications so half the base still don't know we're here. Your family should be deep inside the facility near the main offices – they like to keep a close eye on their captors."

"Stone?" I asked.

"Yes sweetie."

"Is a member of the La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo here? Is it a member of my family?"

"I'm not allowed to say," Stone said firmly. "Only _he_ can say."

"Oh…"

"Anyway, I pulled up a map of the facility here. You're in the library still, right? Head down the hallway that's connected to the one you're in now. Check some of the rooms on your way – we need to flush out any threats while we're here before we destroy this place – and take a right when you reach the end of it. You'll be in the administration department. They keep their network there so be careful; there's probably going to be some sentries posted and tight security. IT personnel are not even allowed in it on a regular basis. You should be able to find a map to where the holding areas are. I believe that's where your family is being held."

I nodded, "Okay."

"Oh, and Jessica?"

"What?"

"I know this sounds cold, but killing is just something that gets easier the more you do it. I can probably imagine that you want to vomit pretty bad right now."

"I can't; I don't have anything on my stomach."

"Well, find a canteen if you can and get something to eat. I don't want you passing out from lack of sugar. Well, call me if you need me. Got some people here that are not too happy to see me."

With that, Stone disconnected. I sighed and sat there for a few minutes, unsure of whether I had the emotional strength to carry on or not. Suddenly, the public address system came alive with Stone's voice.

"YOU SONS OF BITCHES! FUCK YOU ALL! WHY DON'T YOU COME GET SOME YOU PUSSIES! I'M OVER HERE IN ANAMALOUS MATERIALS!" he screamed.

For a minute, I almost laughed till I cried. Stone, in all his seriousness, was now going out on a limb to create a diversion to try and save my ass. Or, at least, save it some trouble.

I gathered my wits and stood back up. Looking down the hallway where the other fallen researcher lied, I took a deep breath and began my steady pace down into the depths of the facility. I peered into each room to see if it was occupied. None of them were; apparently, the two researchers I killed were the only ones around. That would explain why nobody had investigated the firefight that occurred. I walked down the hallway until I came to a small library.

Something beckoned me inside.

The metal doors slid apart quickly. After I stepped across the threshold, they shut back into place. The library was furnished with about five rows of books and a small desk equipped with a computer. I holstered my gun and started to examine the books. Most of them dealt with physics and robotics; a lot of Asimov titles. I turned and walked over to the computer. Whoever the last user was, they forgot to close their Windows session. I sat down in the small, highly uncomfortable swivel chair and brought up Microsoft Outlook. It was time to do a little poking around.

One e-mail I found was labeled "QUEST TEAM." I double clicked on it to open it.

TO: ALL PERSONNEL

FROM: EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT

SUBJECT: QUEST TEAM

Recently, it has been addressed on whether the possibility the Quest family poses a threat to the secrecy of our work. Dr. Quest understands that this project is classified and under airtight security.

However, should a security issue come about; it will be dealt with quickly. The main concern we have is Dr. Quest's bodyguard, Roger "Race" Bannon. Intelligence has led us to believe he may be working for the Patriots, better known now as the La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo. It is imperative that he be monitored for the extent of the visit. He should not be able to piss by himself.

Should Mr. Bannon take a course of action that poses any threat to the facility, please use every method possible to restrain and neutralize him. As a last resort, we may have to use his family as leverage.

Remember: it is our pleasure and honor to have Dr. Quest visit our facility to oversee the completion of our newest creation. Dr. Quest helped pioneer the research in advanced speed and acceleration of particles that made this weapon possible.

Department Foremen: please post this on your bulletin boards ASAP.

Thanks,

Dr. Jeffrey A. Parker, Ph.D.

Public Relations and Internal Affairs Director

The e-mail was dated about four days ago. There was another, flagged urgent. The title was, "CAPTIVES." Whoever this user was, apparently he or she was a member of security.

TO: SECURITY ADMINISTRATORS

CC: DR. YAEGAR; DR. PARKER

CLEARANCE: LEVEL FIVE

FROM: MAXWELL PRUPES, LEAD SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR

SUBJECT: CAPTIVES

ATTENTION ALL SECURITY ADMINS!

THE LA-LI-LU-LE-LO FOOLED US AGAIN. THEY HAVE INFILTRATED OUR FACILITY WITH A MOLE WHO HAS LEAKED INFORMATION BACK TO THEM. ROGER BANNON IS NOT THE THREAT. HOWEVER, WE STILL DO NOT KNOW WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE LA-LI-LU-LE-LO! WE'RE NOT EVEN SURE IF THEY ARE ON THE QUEST TEAM.

WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY CAPTURED JONNY QUEST, DR. QUEST'S SON, AS PER DR. YAEGAR'S DIRECTIVE. DR. QUEST HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO COOPERATE WITH US NOW. UNFORTUNATELY, BANNON'S DAUGHTER ESCAPED. MERCHANT AND GRAY HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THREE OF THE LAMBDA TEAM HAS BEEN KILLED. THEY ALSO REPORTED THAT SHE IS BEING ASSISTED BY STONE (PICTURE ATTACHED), A FORMER MARINE AND MEMBER OF THE LA-LI-LU-LE-LO. HE IS CONSIDERED ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. YOUR ORDERS ARE TO SHOOT ONSITE IF HE REFUSES TO COOPERATE PEACEFULLY. IF HE IS CAPTURED OR NEUTRALIZED ALIVE, HE IS TO BE BROUGHT TO DR. YAEGAR'S OFFICE FOR INTERROGATION.

THE GIRL HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS JESSICA BANNON (SURVEILLANCE PICTURE ATTACHED). SHE IS CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS ALSO. IT IS SPECULATED THAT SHE IS ASSISTING STONE IN TRYING TO RECOVER THE QUEST TEAM. SHE IS TO BE CAPTURED, PREFARABLY ALIVE.

NOTIFY YOUR STAFF MEMBERS TO REPORT ANY SUPSICIOUS ACTIVITIES.

MAX PRUPES

ASSISTANT SECURITY DIRECTOR AND LEAD ADMINISTRATOR

There was another… I think it was labeled "Hey;" a personal e-mail from a colleague:

TO: DR. DWAYNE L. MCGEE

FROM: DR. H. W. CARPENTER

SUBJECT: JESSICA BANNON

Dwayne,

I asked about Jessica what we can do to her while she's being held in the brigade. The LSA gave us the green light to do whatever our hearts desire just as long as it doesn't endanger her life.

You know what this means.

I know you've always had a thing for redheads. Say, why don't we fuck her in front of that Quest kid? The look on his face would be priceless! Hell, I've got my digital camera; we can take pictures, too. Her tits are fucking huge! Take a look at the surveillance photos if you haven't already seen them. She's got a sweet ass, too.

Try not to get too hard of a boner thinking about it. See you at lunch.

Wade

I cringed at the thought of being gang-raped by a bunch of researchers and security officers. However, it could become a reality if I wasn't careful. I stood up from the computer and turned towards the doorway.

The skinny, buzz-cut surfer-boy gone Gomer Pyle was standing inside the room with two uniformed guards behind him. He didn't look too happy to see me at first; then he began to look up and down my body.

"Reading confidential e-mails is against company policy," he said.

"God, you don't have to be so fucking corny," I snapped.

He smiled and started to advance. I could see in his eyes that one of my worst fears was about to become a reality.

"That company car came out of my paycheck!" he screamed as he lunged at me.

I sidestepped out of the way as he crashed into the wall behind me. The first guard – his uniform said "SCALLIONS" – performed a roundhouse kick. His heavy boot made contact with my neck; I lost my breath as I went sailing into the nearby bookcase. It fell over with me on top of it. Scallions jumped on top of me, restraining my arms as I wildly kicked and twisted. The other one, "OLIVER," produced a stun gun from his holster. I could see the 10,000 volts arch violently from its probes. I looked up into Scallions fierce green eyes as Gomer pulled himself up from the wall.

Scallions then shoved his tongue down my throat. Immediately I chomped down on it. Scallions muffled screamed was then followed by a swift knee to his crotch. I managed to break free of his hard grasp and knock his jaw loose. Scallions fell backwards into his leader and the two crashed onto the desk with the computer. Oliver stormed forward, tazer in hand and at full blast. He shoved it forward, attempting to get me on the leg with it. I rolled backwards and stood up on top of the fallen bookcase. I kicked Oliver in the head and sent him flying into the wall. I jumped down just as Scallions and Gomer got back up. Scallions punched me in the stomach; the other kicked me in the shoulder. I fell backwards in front of the door. Scallions made a dive for me; unfortunately for him, I rolled out of the way and got up. I scrambled out of the room, turned, and shot the control panel next to the doorway. It short-circuited, popped, crackled, and the door immediately slid shut. There was a lot of banging and screaming on the other side as they were trapped inside.

I turned and ran down the hallway. I was now going to have to play hide-n-seek with the entire staff of this place, it seemed. The PA system came alive with an unfamiliar voice. It was a woman's voice, although it was computerized and automated: "ATTENTION! WE HAVE A SECURITY BREACH. ALL AVAILABLE SECURITY STAFF MEMBERS PLEASE CONDUCT A SAFETY SWEEP NOW. ALL OTHER PERSONELL PLEASE REPORT TO YOUR RESPECTIVE POSTS." If I was to conduct a search of some rooms, it would have to be quick. These people were now officially pissed off.

I was about to come to the end of the hallway, which formed a T-shape with the corridor it connected to. I slipped into an open room a few feet before the entryway – numerous footsteps in a quick shuffle were coming. I found myself in a chemical storage room, the ideal place to hide. Shelves were lined with all sorts of fluids and gasses I had never seen or heard of before. I crouched down low to where I could see where I came from. About four guys in suits with small machine guns made their way down the hall, probably presuming I was still down there. I poked my head out and waited till they were out of earshot. Then I made my escape.

Bullets began slamming into the floor and wall beside me. Apparently I didn't wait long enough. I skidded around the corner and fired some returning shots. My codec began beeping again. I slammed on the button, "WHAT!"

Stone's voice came over the air, "I see you've met the elite squad."

"NO SHIT!" I screamed as I fired my last remaining rounds. The suits were taking cover at the other end of the corridor.

"I'll call back," Stone said as I slipped a fresh clip into the chamber.

"GOOD!"

The transmission ended.

I turned around and ran down the hallway into an open lobby area. I slammed shut two heavy green fire doors and looked for an object to slide through the handles that would keep them locked for awhile. I grabbed a nearby floor lamp, broke off the base, and slid it through the handles. I turned back around and examined this new area I stumbled upon. Stone said that a network control room was nearby which became my main objective. And, just as he said, three guards ran up. All three of them, however, weren't holding their firearms. Instead, they were armed with nightsticks and riot gear. I slipped my .45 back into its holster. These boys wanted to play rough, it seemed.

The lobby was in a square shape and was about two floors high. The tile was white like in the hallway; a blue outline ran around the outer perimeter. Four marble columns stood near each corner; two rows of seats and some potted plants added to the flavor. This was now my arena. It was time to dance.

I glanced at their uniforms and learned their names: Jackson, Haywood, and McDowell. Jackson was the first to step forward, trying to get sideways of me in an effort to get the upper hand. He swung his nightstick; I ducked. It slammed into the column next to us. I kicked the melee weapon out of his hand. It slid all the way up to the wall. I performed a leg sweep and tripped Jackson up, riot shield and all. Haywood and McDowell followed with their assault. I dodged a swipe by Haywood and kicked McDowell in the center of his shield. The force knocked him back into the column. McDowell landed on his knees and then forward onto the floor. Haywood swatted me across the stomach and then smacked me in the face with his heavy plastic shield. I went backwards and crash landed onto one of the end tables next to the benches. I rolled backwards off the small wooden table and onto the floor behind it. Haywood jumped up on the table and tried taking me down with another blow; he missed as I rolled out of the way. I managed to get behind him, grab the back of his collar, and throw him back over the seats. Haywood took three of the plush waiting-room seats with him as he landed on the floor. Jackson and McDowell threw away their riot shields because of their cumbersome weight. The two soldiers jumped over the seats. I blocked most of the punches and kicks they threw; Jackson got me in the side with a mule kick and McDowell punched me in the jaw. I sailed back and slid on the waxed floor. McDowell ran over and picked me up from behind; Jackson and Haywood approached and both took a shot at my stomach. Blood was running from my nose and corner of my mouth. I was now getting pissed. I pushed myself back into McDowell to get my feet in the air; I kicked Jackson and Haywood both in the throat. They fell backwards, coughing and cursing violently. I continued to run backwards with McDowell until I slammed him into another marble column. It took about three times but he finally let go. I flung around and punched him twice in the stomach; I then grabbed him by his short black hair and knocked the shit out of him with my right fist. He flew into the floor and rolled onto his stomach, motionless.

My hand hurt like hell, now.

Jackson and Haywood were now back on their feet, anxious to get another chance at beating the fuck out of me. I reached into my sheath and pulled out my survival knife. They did the same. Haywood was the first to try his luck with me. He came forward and began to take jabs as I jumped, ducked, and dodged his attacks. Haywood managed to slice my left arm and nearly get my face. I slammed my knife into his neck and withdrew it quickly. Haywood's blood sprayed everywhere like a geyser; his eyes rolled back in his head as he collapsed and died. Jackson ran forward with a primal rage that almost had me shaken. Unfortunately for him, my conscious had taken the hour off and the only thing left was my adrenal glands. I grabbed his wrist and hip tossed his ass face first into the column. Jackson slammed into the solid marble before hitting the ground motionless like his partner McDowell.

I looked around the area for anything that resembled a network closet. Suddenly I spotted my target: a room labeled "LAN ADMINISTRATION: AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY." I ran over to the door and peeked in: nothing but rows and rows of switches, routers, and PC terminals. I slipped in and shut the wooden door behind me, making sure to lock it. I flipped on the lights and tried to contact Stone on my Codec. He came on the air, "Jessica! Are you alright dear?"

"Yeah," I said. "I'm fine, Stone; just a couple of bruises and a gash on my arm."

"A gash? Ah shit… better get that treated soon. Try to locate a first aid room. Where're you at now?"

"LAN Administration; you said there might be a map of this place in here?"

"Yeah," Stone said. "They keep diagrams of network connections and pinout sheets to keep track of where all those cables are coming from. I can't remember correctly, but there should be a desk somewhere near the back of that server farm. See if you can find it."

"Okay."

I wandered through the maze of wiring closets. I pulled out my gun just in case I got any more surprises. My stomach began to growl – I hoped that whoever the network administrator was, he kept food in his desk. Near the corner of the room, I found the desk Stone was talking about.

"Okay, I found it. I'm going to search for a map now."

"Alright sweetie; I'll try to meet up with you later. I'll keep you notified if anything changes."

Stone disconnected. I rummaged through the desk and managed to find an onslaught of Snickers bars and gummy bears. I indulged myself, tearing through each package like a homeless person in a dumpster. It wasn't much, but it would have to do until I could find some real food. My glucose didn't need to drop any more. I ripped out drawers and moved papers, looking for anything that would give a layout of the facility. With a little luck, and a little time, I stumbled across one. I unfolded the map and laid it across the blotter. Apparently the facility was composed of five floors, number four being the one I was on and the loading bay. Number five was canteen and human resources. Number four was administration, reference, and loading bay. Number three was dispatch, test range, and conference rooms. Number two was R&D, specimen holding, brigade, and primary IT department. Finally, number one was executive offices, restricted laboratories, and classified reference. My family was more than likely on floor two. But first, I needed to visit the top floor for grub.

I managed to sneak to the elevator down the hall without interference. Nobody else appeared to face the wrath of me. I pressed the button and kept a watchful eye on the hallway around me. I was getting nervous: what new horrors awaited me on the floor above?

A small ding and the polished metallic elevator doors slid apart. As soon as I looked inside two researchers leapt out of the car and onto me. My surprise was soon replaced with anger and fear as I fought hard to free from their grasp. I needed to get back into the elevator and get the damn thing moving. I turned to the one on my right – an older gentleman with silver hair – and head-butted him in the mouth. He immediately grabbed his mouth as blood started to pour from his busted teeth and rolled away. I was dragged up by the other – a younger gentleman, but older than me, with dark brown hair – and grabbed him by his nuts. He let out a scream before I punched him in the side of the head and got to my feet. I threw myself into the elevator; strangely, somebody had already called it to the top floor. The doors slid shut as I heard more footsteps coming down the hallway.

I scooted up to the rear of the car and rested against the smooth wood paneling. I got out my .45 and cocked it. The excitement was killing me. I wondered about Jonny, about Daddy, and Hadji, and Dr. Quest… I desperately needed to know their status. The elevator car ascended gently; the level indicator changed to five. With an abrupt stop, the elevator doors opened slowly. I peered outside and looked around. I was now located in the canteen – it resembled the cafeteria at Rockport High School. A couple of tables with those God-awful hard plastic seats, serving lines, and some vending machines, it almost felt like home. I took a few steps out and kept my gun trained to my invisible opponents. I knew they were there. They were waiting… but for what? I slid behind one of the columns and peered out into the seating area. In the distance, behind the serving tables, not even God Himself moved. I crept over sideways to the vending machines. I took the butt of my gun and dislodged the hard plastic window. I managed to stick my arm behind it and grab a bunch of honey buns and potato chips. I tore into the packages and scarfed down as much as I humanly could. Afterwards, I rested for a few minutes at one of the tables. I was perfectly aware of the numerous footsteps that were approaching quickly behind me. I stared straight ahead as I felt the cold barrel of an M5 press up against the back of my neck.

A gruff voice said, "Stand up, slowly."

I slowly pushed myself up from the table. I felt two sets of hands grab my wrists and bind them together behind my back. My weapons were stripped from me as I continued to stare ahead.

"Turn around."

I slowly turned to see the other assailant that had attacked me and Jonny in Nags Head, the big guy. His massively strong physique made the assault rifle he wielded look unnecessary. Behind him was a group of about five grunts, all wearing camouflage uniforms and masks to hide their identity. I read the name sewn into the big one's uniform: Gray. Mr. Pyle must be the other one, Merchant.

"You're coming with us," Gray said. "The boss wants to see you."

Something caught my eye. The way the soldiers behind Gray were standing, they formed a V shape. The one on the left end seemed to have noticed something. The second I saw his shotgun go up, I leapt backwards and kicked Gray's M5 out of his hands. The gunfire erupted in the cafeteria almost instantaneously as I rolled over the table and into the kitchen area. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw Stone diving sideways from one of the columns firing upon Gray and his goons with an AK-47. I got jumped over a stack of trays and crash landed behind the serving tables.

Things were about to get just a tad hectic.

My hands were tied together with a strong zip tie. _How clever_, I thought. I stayed low and made my way deeper into the kitchen. There had to be a pair of scissors somewhere. I could hear orders being shouted and more gunfire blasting outside. Next time I'd use some spare change to get something to snack on from the vending machine. I managed to stand upright and scout all over the kitchen counters and preparation areas. Not much of any sharp utensils were left out; OSHA would be happy. I finally found a pair of snipping shears used to cut into airtight packaging. With some tricky maneuvering and a little luck, I was finally free from my homemade handcuffs. Unfortunately, I didn't have any guns so I was shit out of luck until further notice. I wandered deeper into the kitchen and explored. The white tiled walls and poured concrete floors were very clean, indeed. All sorts of utensils hung diligently from their respective hooks, food items were labeled and organized inside the refrigerators.

I exited the kitchen and found myself inside another hallway. These walls were composed of tempered glass and blinds; a very office-oriented atmosphere. Walking by some of the workspaces and cubicle areas, men and women casually went about their business, paying little to no attention to me. Apparently, someone with my attire was quite common in this business. The glass ended and the smooth green wall began. I rounded a corner to see two guards coming my way. They were busy chatting so my presence was not known… yet. I quickly looked around for a place to hide and found the men's room.

It was better than nothing.

I pushed open the wooden door and slipped around the privacy wall. The room was unoccupied with the exception of me. Two urinals and four stalls lined the right wall; a counter with two sinks on the opposite wall from it. I entered the first stall and shut the door. Down my spine, a caterpillar of fear and anxiety crawled downward. I was visibly nervous; almost shaking violently. I sat down on the toilet and buried my face in my hands.

"Why me…?" I asked nobody.

My worst fears came to life when I heard the men's room door open and one of the guards saying to the other, "I gotta take a leak; hold on." I held my breath as I heard his combat boots squeak softly across the floor. He unzipped his pants and started to relieve himself into the urinal of his choice. I slowly arose and opened the door. I was insane for trying this, but it was worth a shot…

I stepped through the door and looked at myself in the mirror. My face was now pale, my red hair drenched with sweat and gun powder. My victim didn't seem to notice the fact that I was now stalking him. Without breathing, I grabbed the back of his head and smashed his face into the hard wall in front of him. He groaned the first time, but to be on the safe side I repeated the process about three times until the blood started smearing. I threw his body into the side of the first stall; he collapsed openly with his eyes shut. I reached down and took a combat knife and a nine millimeter 952 Smith and Wesson from the grunt. I cocked the first bullet into the chamber and crept up to the men's room door and peeked out. His partner was standing to the right of the door but far enough away from the door for me to get a good grasp on him. I opened the door completely and grabbed him by the shoulders and threw the poor bastard into the privacy wall behind me. The look of shock on his face was replaced with pain as I kicked him square in the balls. He fell to his knees and then I kicked him in the face. I left the men's room quickly and looked both ways down the hallway: nobody saw me, and if they did, they didn't give a rat's ass.

I lurked down the hallway. I needed some help getting to the lower levels, someone who would know where to go. I peered around the corner and looked into a small employee lounge. A girl about my age was standing with her back turned to me, sipping coffee from a Styrofoam cup. She looked rather timid; her dark brown hair was put into a pony tail and her outfit was more or less comforting than professional. She wore a flower-patterned skirt and a simple white blouse. It reminded me of a kindergarten teacher. I stalked up behind her and pulled out my gun. I cringed and put the gun up to the back of her head, saying, "Don't move." The young woman gasped and dropped her coffee; the cup landed on the counter and tipped over away from her. I tried to remember what Daddy had taught me about taking control of somebody.

I slid my arm under her left and pulled her close to me with my hand coming back up around to her right shoulder. Using this technique would make it harder for her to make an escape without taking a bullet. I didn't really enjoy this, mind you, but it had to be done.

"I won't hurt you," I whispered in her ear. "Just do what I say. Got it?"

"Y… yeah!" she shrieked.

I turned around with her in front of me. I looked around: nobody took notice. They were too busy working at their stations inside their offices to really care about the outside world. We stepped back into the hallway.

"Which way is the elevator?" I asked.

She pointed further down the hallway.

"Okay. I'm going to let go now. You're coming with me. If you try to escape, I'll shoot. Got it?"

She violently nodded. I slowly released my grasp. My captive didn't run. So far so good, at least. I allowed a few inches between us as we walked. The girl folded her arms and kept her head pointed downward towards her low-heel shoes. When we arrived at the elevator, she pressed the button as I took stance beside her. The elevator chimed and the doors slid open. We stepped inside.

"Number two," I commanded.

She obliged and pressed the second floor button.

The doors slid shut and we descended.

My codec started to ring.


	6. Chapter 5: The Darkness Inside

Chapter Five:

The Darkness Inside

Stone's voice called over the codec, "Jessica? Where in the fuck are you?"

I pressed my finger against my earpiece to make sure I could hear him clearly, and said, "In an elevator leaving the top floor; going to floor two. I've got a hostage."

"SHIT, SHIT, SHIT! DON'T GO THERE!" he screamed.

Every hair on my body stood on end, "Why not?"

"BECAUSE…!"

And then there was silence. In the background of his transmission I could hear loud grenade blasts and more gunfire. Stone then cursed about being shot before disconnecting. I immediately looked over at the young woman I had captured.

"What the hell are they going to do?" I asked firmly.

She looked at me in shock, her blue eyes widening.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered.

I grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

She started to sob, shaking her head no as hard as she could. I released her and started pacing the elevator. What was the facility planning on doing to combat my efforts?

The elevator chimed and the doors opened up. I grabbed the young woman and put my gun up under her jaw. We walked out of the elevator into a long steel hallway. I kept my captive close as we pressed on. We came to a perpendicular corridor. On the wall in front of me was a long window that stretched the length of the wall and around the corners. I looked down inside into a large hangar-type area. Inside were giant mechanized armor pieces; reminded me of Mechwarrior on the PC, although these were on a much smaller scale. Engineers and soldiers walked through the area, preparing them, carrying on maintenance, all under the watchful eye of Dr. Yaegar. She stood on a platform on the other side of the football-sized warehouse.

Dr. Yaegar looked more like a pediatrician than she did a scientist, but I could see the cold hard glare she held to the floor below. My captive whimpered. I flung around. A group of masked guards had accumulated behind us; all had their automatic weapons trained on me. I pulled the girl close in front of me and pressed my back against the wall. More came from either side of the hallway.

"GIVE IT UP, BANNON!" yelled the leader.

I remained silent.

"WE'RE NOT AFRAID TO KILL HER TO GET TO YOU!"

I raised my eyebrows. The girl gasped as they pressed forward a little.

I immediately pushed her away and dropped my gun. I wasn't about to risk an unnecessary life for my gain, other than what I already had. The young girl ran off to the right where she was escorted out by two of the masked guerillas. I held up my hands as two of them raised and stepped forward. I looked into both of their eyes: they widened. I was struck hard in the stomach and punched in the face. The final blow was an uppercut to the left side of my skull which slammed me back into the glass. I slid down to the floor as I lost my grasp on consciousness…

Stone's voice was calling me again.

But this time, it was different.

Instead of the cold, unforgiving chill that it used to be… it was mournful, anxious, and worried. I lied there in the darkness. I remember calling Jonny's name, then Daddy's, finally I just trailed off. My body ached, I knew that much. I don't know how much time elapsed before I finally snapped back to reality.

My eyes hurt, my nose was bleeding as well as my lower lip, and my overall body pain increased dramatically. The first thing I saw was the cold, poured concrete floor that I was sprawled out upon on my back. My codec had been relieved of me, as well as any object that could pose as a weapon. My suit was unzipped halfway, probably because they performed a cavity search while I was out cold.

Jonny's hand stroked my hair. I tried to push myself up to see him but I was too tired. I turned my head and looked up at him. Like me, he had seen better days.

"Hey Jess," he said softly.

I blinked a few times, "…Hey."

"They kicked your ass pretty hard after they took you in."

"Sons… of bitches," I said as I clutched my badly bruised stomach. "Where are we?"

"The holding cells inside the brig. Been here since yesterday."

"Yesterday…? Oh… midnight must've… passed."

"Yeah," Jonny said. "It's about three o'clock in the morning now. This place never sleeps, you know? I've seen tons of staff members and guys with guns wandering around here like another day at the office."

I nodded my head.

"Nice suit," Jonny said.

I managed to halfway smile, "Thanks."

"What happened to you after we got split up? Or does this suit explain it all?"

Jonny seemed to be hinting at something… the way he talked made it sound like he knew already. However, the boy is about as clear as mud on these occasions.

"It's a long story… I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you… yet. What about you…?"

Jonny knelt down and picked me up. He staggered a little bit; his face was a little bruised and I imagined that the rest of his frame was the same way. He laid me down onto the only cot in the room and took a seat beside me. I stroked his torn shirt and felt some scars on his arm.

Jonny took a breath, "Jess, they're making Dad finish up work on a weapon that scares me shitless."

I blinked, "What?"

"It's… nothing like we've ever seen before. It takes a piece of lead and fires it at such a high speed, that it can penetrate just about anything."

Rail gun.

"Remember the movie Eraser with 'ol Schwarzenegger?"

I nodded.

"Same idea. X-ray sighting and everything. To make matters worse, they're planning on mounting it to these armored walking battle tanks they mass produced. Jess, these people are going to play both sides of the field. They intend on starting a mass global war… World War III. Their reasoning is: with peace there are no profits. That's bad."

I rested my head on the beaten pillow, saying, "No shit…"

"They separated us all. Hadji and Dad were taken somewhere ultra-secure. Race is around here somewhere."

"We… need to escape," I whispered.

Jonny nodded, "I know, I know…"

He stroked my face.

"I was so worried about you," I said.

"Me too," Jonny replied.

"What happened when they took you here?"

"They kicked my ass pretty good in front of Dad. Said if he didn't cooperate, I would cease to exist. Dad succumbed to their desires. Then I was thrown in here."

I caressed his arm.

"What about you? What can you tell me about where you've been?"

I shook my head, "Not now… not now… I need to rest."

Jonny agreed, "Yeah, they beat you pretty bad. I believe one of them tried to get your clothes off, but this other guy wouldn't' let him. Don't know why, but I'm glad."

I smiled a little bit. Jonny smiles back.

He leaned down and kissed me gently on the lips.

"Get some sleep. As you've probably guessed, we're not going anywhere anytime soon."

I looked around the small holding cell: four cold walls and a windowed door. My body began preparing itself to drift off into the subconscious. I felt my eyelids getting heavier. Jonny leaned down and we kissed once more.

"I love you," I whispered softly.

"I love you to," he said.

And with that, I drifted off once again into my darkness.

And it was good.

Things were quiet.

Until I was forcefully awakened; a large set of hands were shaking me.

I shot awake and looked up into the face of a hulking research scientist. His identification badge said "H.W. CARPENTER." Carpenter was composed of sandy blonde short hair, intense green eyes, chiseled face, and a body of a brick wall. I immediately looked over and saw Jonny gagged; his wrists were bound when tight rope and was hanging from a giant hook in the ceiling. Next to him was another researcher, a little bit smaller than Carpenter but big enough to overpower any young woman. Namely: me. Before my eyes, my worst nightmare was coming true. Carpenter said, "Wakey, wakey, Princess."

"Fuck you!" I yelled.

He smacked me.

Carpenter turned to his cohort, "Get your ass over here Dwayne! Tie her to the bed."

McGee stepped over. His short black hair and pretty-boy features made it hard to believe that this guy had to resort to something like this in order to get laid. I tried kicking wildly but Carpenter weighed a fucking ton. McGee strapped my wrists to the legs of the bed frame below the mattress. Carpenter scooted back onto the tops of my legs. He reached inside and pulled out a small serum and hypodermic syringe.

My eyes widened, "What… what the hell are you going to do!"

"Relax, dear, just a muscle relaxer," Carpenter said coyly.

I started to curse wildly as McGee tore into the sleeve of my suit with a pair of cutting shears. He ripped off my right sleeve, exposing my arm. Carpenter grabbed it and felt for a vein. Inserting the needle, he flooded my bloodstream with the medication. Almost seconds later, I lost control to fight back. My breathing and heart rate slowed; I was now an easy fuck toy. Carpenter looked up at his friend, "What are you going to do to her first?"

McGee tilted his head to the side, "I think I'll shove my dick down her throat first."

I pleaded with my eyes.

Carpenter massaged my breast, saying, "Don't worry, sweetie. We've also got a treat lined up for your boyfriend over there."

Jonny fought to say something through the rag that was tied around his mouth.

I began to cry.

Both men took pleasure in seeing me helpless.

Bastards.

McGee took the shears and began to snip away at the rest of my suit. Carpenter continued to hold down my legs. My top was gently unzipped and peeled off, exposing half of me to them.

"Mmmm… I like this," McGee said.

He leaned down at began to run his tongue all over my breasts. It was sending chills down my spine, both of excitement and of fear. McGee took my left nipple in his mouth and began to suck wildly, almost like he was expecting something to come out. I could feel a bulge press into my side as he leaned sideways over me. This is just fucking peachy, I thought to myself.

"Take off her pants, Dwayne. I've got my Kodak with me," Carpenter said.

McGee ran his tongue down my stomach until he reached the waistband of my pants. Undoing the button, he pulled them off without a hitch. My boots had apparently been removed by Jonny, so now I was full-fledged nude. I made a vow – as pointless as it was – that I would kill these mother fuckers before I left this place, if ever. They threw what was left of my clothing in the corner. Then, both men removed theirs. Carpenter was ripped and hairy; McGee was not as muscular, per se, and he apparently enjoyed body waxing. McGee stepped up next to my head and grabbed my face, "Listen, you fucking slut, bite it: he dies. Understand?"

I quickly nodded.

He smacked me for no other reason than to show dominance.

"Open up," he commanded.

I barely opened my mouth and closed my eyes, squeezing what few little tears I could generate out to run down my face. McGee shoved his hard-as-a-rock-cock in my mouth, almost to the point where he could touch the back of my throat. He let out a groan; I remained silent. I looked over at Jonny who bowed his head and closed his eyes. McGee spoke, "Look up here!"

I slowly met his eyes. McGee went wild, thrusting faster and harder with each motion. Minutes seemed like hours; would it ever end? Or were we only just beginning?

"Ah… now I'm going to fuck the living daylights out of you," McGee said.

We were just beginning.

He spread my legs rubbed my cunt with his hand. I moistened not by choice, but by sheer reaction. I swallowed and hoped that this guy wouldn't take long. McGee slid his manhood into me; I let out a small reactive moan and tensed up my body. He leaned forward, pushing my legs up with his body. We were now officially missionary, the tried and true. I prayed to God he wouldn't cum inside me. But, knowing my luck…

McGee started out slow, but then proceeded to pound the hell out of my vagina. He got up close and shoved his tongue in my mouth as I continued to moan and sob simultaneously. All through this matter, I could hear the flash and shutter of Carpenter's digital camera; that and his goddamned praise and comments. McGee apparently tied his tubes in a knot that morning – this guy was going to take awhile. I don't know how much time elapsed – an eternity for all I know – before he started to moan. Here it comes, I thought to myself. I closed my eyes and waited for the moment of glory. To my surprise, McGee withdrew from me and sat on my chest once more. Oh no…

McGee stroked his cock wildly as he leaned forward towards my face.

"Open your fucking mouth," he commanded.

I did, and thick loads of cum sprayed forward. It got all over my cheek, lips, and then a major portion in my mouth. The warm, sticky semen rested on my tongue before I swallowed it. The salty aftertaste didn't help my dry mouth one bit. I slowly opened my eyes to McGee who wiped off his dick on my tits. He got off me and walked away towards Carpenter. My pussy dripped with my own cum; saliva did likewise out of my mouth.

"Now it's time for the boy," Carpenter said.

I blinked and looked over at Jonny.

His eyes were wider than a deer's in headlights.

They began to rip off his clothes, twist his nipples and grab his penis. He started to squirm and scream through the gag in his mouth. Carpenter grabbed Jonny's bare ass and spread his cheeks. I could see a savage grin on his face as he began to pound the hell out of Jonny's anus. I cringed as Jonny's muffled wails filled the room. Carpenter thrust hard one last time before removing himself. McGee punched Jonny hard in the stomach; Carpenter hit him one good time in the face. A large bruise began to form around Jonny's right eye; blood was running out both of his nostrils. Together, the two researchers laughed, patted each other on the back, gathered their clothes, and left the room. The heavy steel door slammed shut and the sound of a heavy bar went across it. I continued to weep as the feeling of hopelessness reinforced itself. I cried out on how much pain I was going to inflict upon Carpenter and McGee.

Tears were streaming down Jonny's face. I guess he felt the same way, too.

Together, we shared our pain in silence.

The stickiness of McGee's seed was starting to irritate me.

I tried licking the spots and then rubbing my face on the bed and on my arm. It did little good as I had expected. Jonny was either asleep or had given up. I heard a giant unlatching sound on the door; the heavy bar on the other side was being removed, albeit with a struggle. The steel door was slowly opened and in stepped the young woman I had taken hostage earlier on my romp through the facility. She took one look at Jonny and me and blushed. Turning her head away, she stuttered, "I… I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I managed to say. "Not like I've got much shame left."

Jonny lifted his head and looked at her, his eyes pleading for the obvious desire to be cut down and clothed. The young woman approached me first and began to undo my bounds.

"What's your name?" She asked quietly.

"Jessica," I replied.

"Oh… what about your friend over there?"

"That's Jonny."

She finished getting me unbound. I sat upright and put my legs over the edge of the bed. She set two small stacks of clothes next to me.

"For him and you," she said. "I tried to get the right size."

"That's okay," I reassured her. "We appreciate it."

She smiled and stepped back as I got dressed. Besides a pair of Hanes Her Way undergarments, a black tee shirt that said "I don't know if you're an absolute idiot or complete moron" and blue jeans composed my new uniform. Not exactly tactical, but it would have to do.

"What's your name?" I asked the woman.

"Oh… I'm Lisa," she said. "I don't know if it's good or bad to make your acquaintance."

I shook my head, "It's okay; I know how you feel. Let's get Jonny down."

Lisa produced a small pocket knife and began to saw away at the ropes that bound Jonny's wrists while I removed his gag. Jonny let out a sigh of relief and said, "I hurt…"

I kissed him gently, saying, "I know, sweetie, I know."

Lisa cut through the ropes. Jonny fell to the floor and crashed to his knees. I knelt down beside him as he tried to regain himself. Lisa stepped back and turned around, obviously embarrassed. I helped Jonny up as he got dressed. Lisa had supplied him with a dark green flannel shirt and blue jeans. As Jonny finished buttoning up his shirt, I asked her, "Lisa, how did you know we were down here?"

"A man named Stone handed me those clothes and brought me down here," she said.

"What?" I looked at her in astonishment. "Is he still down here!"

Lisa shook her head, "No… he said something about checking on the others."

"And he failed miserably," a new voice said.

Lisa's eyes widened as far as they would go; Jonny and I looked up into the presence of Dr. Elena Yaegar. On either side were two guards in dark colored suits. The elite squad, I assumed. Dr. Yaegar stepped aside and revealed Stone on his knees, coughing and clutching his shoulder. She grabbed him by what little gray hair he had and threw him forward. Stone landed face first in front of us; a bullet had torn through his shoulder and grazed his abdomen. I dropped to my knees beside him and turned him over. Stone looked up at me with those turquoise eyes, now darker than ever; his weathered face was sullen and a little bloody. I looked back up at Dr. Yaegar. Her pitch-black raven hair and piercing green eyes shot straight through me. She walked over to Lisa who turned around sheepishly and looked up at her employer. Dr. Yaegar slapped Lisa with all the force she could muster. Lisa's glasses flew off her face while she flew into the wall. She slid down to the floor and fell backwards.

Dr. Yaegar turned to me, "Get up."

I stood up, leaving Stone in the care of Jonny.

"Come with me."

I followed Dr. Yaegar out of the door. Jonny stared on while the guards stayed behind.

We walked through the hallways and through a set of heavy doors into another warehouse area. A large clearing was in the center surrounded by palettes of boxes and equipment wrapped in plastic. A catwalk was suspended overhead in which workers and foremen traveled to and from as they did on the floor. I wondered why Dr. Yaegar led me to this place. Then I saw him.

I screamed, "DAD!"

Daddy was being restrained by four hulking guys in suits. Merchant and Gray stood nearby wielding Springfield Armory SMGs. Daddy looked a little beaten; his tank-top was torn and his jeans had blood stains on them. He looked up at me and yelled, "Ponchita…!"

I turned to Dr. Yaegar, who kept a solemn expression.

"We're going to see how good the soldier gene is," she said.

I gasped, "What the hell do you mean?"

Out of the corner of her mouth, Dr. Yaegar smiled.

"We're going to see which one of you is superior. We're doing the armed forces a favor, you see. The data we collect will be used to help program our walking battle droids you looked at from afar. Soon, however, you'll be seeing one up close and personal. Thanks to Dr. Quest, the rail gun project is complete, and we have successfully incorporated it into our bots."

She reached in her lab coat and pulled out a surveillance photo. Dr. Yaegar looked at it briefly before handing it to me. I took it from her: it was Mom.

The bitch spoke, "You look just like Estella, except for your eyes. They're hardened, soldier's eyes like I've never seen before in a female. If you cooperate and go ahead with this little battle, we'll leave her alone. I've already discussed this with Roger over there: he's game. How 'bout you?"

I gripped the photo so hard that it almost tore. I fought hard to hold back the anguish that I wanted to let go. You… fucking bitch… I thought.

I closed my eyes hard, sighing, "Goddammit… Goddammit all to hell…"

Dr. Yaegar smiled, "Very good, dear. Let him go!"

The suits released Daddy's arms and everyone stepped back. Dr. Yaegar turned to me, "You better not disappoint me, Bannon."

I turned and scorned the woman who merely smiled. She turned and walked towards one of the palettes. Dr. Yaegar hopped up on one of them and crossed her legs, making herself comfortable for the show. A crowd gathered on the catwalk and warehouse floor to spectate. I heard Jonny's voice crying out – they had brought him in to bear witness to this event too.

Daddy and I stepped forward. I wiped my eyes, "Daddy… I don't want to."

Daddy shook his head, "I know sweetie. I don't want to either. But we don't have a choice. Don't hold back anything, because I'm not going to… I can't."

"I know."

Daddy and I hugged tightly for a few seconds; he kissed me on the forehead. Once we released each other, Daddy punched me in the stomach with enough force that would make any normal person vomit. He then kneed me in the chin. My teeth clunked together as I fell backwards. Daddy tried stomping me but I quickly rolled out of the way and performed a leg-sweep on him. He fell backwards as I scrambled to pull myself up.

Daddy wasn't down long.

He leapt back up as we took our stances. I threw a punch for his face; he stepped aside, grabbed my arm, and hurled my ass like a Frisbee into a stack of heavy cardboard boxes. I slammed into the side of them and fell face-first into the cement floor. Daddy walked over, grabbed my red hair and pulled me up. He was about to bust my jaw when I kicked him in the crotch. Daddy cringed and grabbed his nuts; I took the opportunity to pull off a spinning roundhouse kick. He slid across the floor a few feet away from me.

As Daddy was pulling himself back up, I ran over and ricocheted off a stack of boxes next to him. I kicked Daddy again in the face, spinning him around and tumbling back to the ground. I scooted back up to my feet as he rolled over and flipped up. From then on, we engaged more violently. For a second there, I forgot this man was my father. Inside all the anger and confusion built up and let out through my limbs. Daddy punched me repeatedly and then threw me through the palettes and into a wall. I came back screaming and shoulder thrusted myself into his abdomen, plowing us both through another stack of boxed supplies. It continued like this for awhile; time wasn't a factor in how hard I fought. Daddy's punches I managed to block and reverse, his kicks I managed to grab and flip him around, and everything else he threw out me seemed futile. I was bettering him at the same techniques that he had taught me growing up. He could see that, too, which probably added to his seemingly desperation to win. Towards the end of the battle, I glanced out of the corner of my eye. A researcher whispered something in Dr. Yaegar's ear. Her eyebrows narrowed and she stormed off quickly, taking Merchant and Gray with her. Daddy was still lying on the ground facing the ceiling. I knelt down beside him and put my hand on his throat into a makeshift chokehold.

"She's gone," I mumbled quietly.

Daddy coughed, "Follow… her, Ponchita. I've… got to play dead… damn I'm tired. You opened up a fifty-five gallon drum of whup ass on me."

I stood up and kicked Daddy in the stomach once more.

He clutched his stomach and curled up. He was motionless, probably holding his breath. I wiped the blood from my mouth and nose and followed where Dr. Yaegar had gone with her goons. I glanced back up at the catwalks and area: people that had betted were now either cashing out or cashing in. There was lots of mumbling, swearing, cheers, and indifference. I had to find Dr. Yaegar, and fast.

That bitch was going to pay.

I ran through a set of double-doors and found myself in a huge laboratory. Cold, stainless steel counters, cabinets, and walls lined the room. It was about the size of a small gymnasium; lots of expensive computers, microscopes, and a particle accelerator occupied the floor. Thankfully, it was unoccupied.

I walked slowly around the counters and cables. Some sections were sectioned off into little offices by glass dividers. I wandered in one and saw my codec lying on the executive-looking desk. It was beeping.

I walked over and inserted the earpiece.

Dr. Quest's voice came over the air, "Who is this…?"

I gasped, "Dr. Quest! It's me, Jessie!"

I could hear him do the same action, "Jessie, thank God! Are you okay?"

"I hurt like hell," I sighed.

"I know… I was watching you battle your dad here on the monitor."

"Monitor? Where the hell are you?"

"Hadji and I have escaped. Dr. Yaegar was just notified. Listen, Jessica, you have to destroy the rail gun. Operation Derail must not fail!"

I stared into space, "…Wait a minute… how the…"

"No time to explain," Dr. Quest interrupted. "They're going to figure out where Hadji is in…"

A loud explosion erupted at the entrance of the lab.

I turned around and saw through a giant hole that now appeared in the wall one of the mechanized armors start blasting the hell out of the arena next door.

"Never mind," Dr. Quest said.

I screamed, "HADJI'S DRIVING THAT DAMN THING!"

"Yes. He's got a codec to. His frequency is 232.12. Mine is 141.80. I've got to go, Jessie. I'm here in the security complex on floor three. They'll be wondering why their dispatch isn't working in a little bit."

"Wait, before you go… where the hell is my stuff?"

"Hold on one second," Dr. Quest said. He came back on, "Contact Hadji. He might know. I've got to go."

Dr. Quest disconnected. I tuned my codec to Hadji's frequency as more explosions rocked the warehouse area outside. Hadji came on, "Yes?"

"HADJI!" I screamed.

I could hear him cringe before replying, "Jessie, it's so good to see you're safe! I'm kind of busy right now, so I will have to call you back."

"Hold it, dammit! I need you to help me! Where's Dad?"

"That I do not know. I saw him limp off down a corridor. These people are a bit angry at me right now."

"No shit," I rolled my eyes. "Listen, get the fuck out of that thing and come to the laboratory nearby."

The giant, twelve-foot-tall Mechwarrior-like armor came to a halt. The front compartment opened up; its pilot, Hadji, hopped out. The bronze colored armor of the walking death on two feet shimmered proudly in the glaring overhead lighting of the warehouse. Bullets were now slamming into the right side of it as Hadji took cover under the giant mechanical legs. I needed to help provide some cover fire. I ran to the back of the lab and busted through the door into a hallway. As luck would have it, there was an M4A1 Carbine. Its owner was as shocked as I was when I leapt off the wall and kicked him as hard as I could across the teeth. The young sentry sailed into the opposite wall and slammed into a framed picture of modern art. It became a modern mess in the floor on top of this motionless body. I picked up the fully automatic rifle and an extra clip; this guy wouldn't need any of these soon. I ran back to the hole in the lab; Hadji had managed to make his way over to a stack of pallets but was still too far for a safe entry into the lab.

"STAY PUT!" I yelled at him. Hadji gave a thumbs up.

I aimed up into the catwalks where small groups of armed guards had gathered. Some researchers had posted themselves around the warehouse floor to offer assistance to them with their small firearms. I cocked the gun and took aim. I squeezed the trigger hard and began to sweep the walkways suspended above. The guards took notice and began to run for cover as a few took hits. One fell over the side and crashed onto the hard concrete floor below. Hadji made his escape into the lab as our enemies took cover, apparently untrained in dealing with a pissed off redhead with a gun. Hadji got behind me as I ejected the empty magazine and replaced it with my only fresh one. He grabbed my arm and pulled me further back into the lab. I managed to get turned around and get a good look at my Indian friend.

Hadji had changed.

Gone was his turban and his usual attire – it was replaced with a dark camouflage garb.

"What the hell is all this?" I asked him.

He shook his head, "I will explain later. Right now, we have to get moving!"

He reached behind his back and produced a Colt .45 Army revolver. He caught me looking at it, "Part of my getup."

"Okay…?"

I shrugged it off as we made our way back to the hallway. My victim was now back on his feet, albeit staggering. Hadji burst through the door, put his gun up to the young man's face, and pulled the trigger. The back of the guy's head exploded all over the wall behind him as his body fell limp and collapsed once again on the floor. I stood there in awe for a second. What the fuck just happened, I pondered. Who the hell is this guy? This isn't Hadji…

Hadji turned, "Let's move, Jessie! We have to find your equipment and Dr. Quest. Does your Codec still work?"

I blinked, "Huh? Oh, yeah… yeah…"

He waved further down the hall, "This way, I believe your items are down this way."

I nodded and followed as we jogged down the tiled hallway. Emergency beacons were flashing every ten feet; a woman's monotone voice kept announcing over the public address system that a full-scale lockdown was in affect. She also announced that the CC Operatives were in search of intruders. Anyone who didn't present proper identification was to be killed, no questions asked. How reassuring this was.

Hadji kept his back against the wall and motioned for me to do the same on the opposite.

"Watch our back," he said.

I nodded and kept glancing behind. It didn't take long before about three uniformed guards appeared out of a doorway just as we reached a perpendicular intersection. A couple of giant pipes ran along the wall saying, "DANGER: LASER." After I fired a few shots at our assailants, Hadji grabbed my arm and threw me out of the way. I slid onto the floor and watched as he fired a couple of shots into a seam of the pipe. He stepped out of the way as a very intense red beam emitted from the passageway. Lots of screaming and the sounds of wet meat hitting the floor came from the previous hallway. Hadji picked me up as we pressed onward. We passed through a giant entryway in the passageway; a giant blast door was waiting in the ceiling. Hadji fumbled with a control panel near it before shooting it, making the heavy cast-iron door quickly descend downward before making a heavy clank into its depression in the floor. He leaned on the big red door marked "FIRE DOOR" and slid down to the floor.

"We can rest for a minute," he said. "The only thing down the hall is an elevator and a flight of stairs. They are probably regrouping and trying to communicate with each other. Thankfully, Dr. Quest has hampered their communications equipment."

"Hadji… what… what is all this? Why are you dressed like that and where in the hell did you learn to fire a gun like that? Much less, how the hell did you know how to pilot one of those things?"

Hadji wiped sweat off his brow and said, "Jessie… I don't know how much our friend Stone has told you. However… right now, Dr. Yaegar believes that there is a member of the La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo here inside the compound… she is not pleased whatsoever."

"Yeah, they said that this person came in with the Quest team… is it Dr. Quest?"

Hadji shook his head, "Nor is it Race or Jonny."

"You mean…"

"Yes," Hadji pulled himself up. "I am Hadji Singh, one of the many La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo."

Shocked, I backed into the wall and looked up at the ceiling.

Finally, I found some words I could use, "How… how long have you been a part of them…?"

Hadji holstered his gun in his rear holster, saying, "It's been quite a number of years now. My father was a member of this organization. However, such as it is, he is not of the living. Therefore, I was the heir to his position. My status was dormant until I was old enough. As you can see, I am no longer waiting in the wings."

"Oh… my God…"

"I am not the only one that is a member, Jessie. I merely said that I was the one Dr. Yaegar was looking for. There is another."

I looked at him and raised my eyebrows.

He shook his head, "I cannot speak for him. He will have to do it himself, if he chooses to do so."

That narrowed down my choices to the obvious three to pick from. And from all the shrouded secrecy that everyone had placed around me, it would prove difficult to find my fellow "coworker." Hadji suddenly withdrew his gun and pointed it at the door to the stairwell farther down the hall. I brought the Carbine up and watched as it slowly opened inward. Stone stumbled out. His shirt was missing, letting me get a full glimpse of the bandages that wrapped his right shoulder and abdomen. He was hurting pretty bad. Hadji holstered his gun and ran to help the beaten old man. I followed.

"God… dammit…" Stone mumbled.

"Are you any more damaged than what you already are?" Hadji asked.

Stone shook his head, "No… Just tired as shit. I've lost a lot of blood. But… I should be okay."

In his hands was a black, sawn-off twelve-gauge pump-action combat shotgun. Hadji pointed to it, "How many shells do you have?"

"Six in this thing. I emptied a box into my pants pocket. Listen: Lisa took Race somewhere safe. She said she's going to evac him. Which I must say, sweetie, you beat the living tee-total shit out of your old man. He's in pretty bad shape, but he'll live. Roger's a tough guy."

I asked, "Where is Dr. Yaegar?"

"I don't know. Hopefully she isn't looking for Race and Lisa. I highly doubt she'll be able to make contact with her outside peers to get to your mom. The La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo is already hiding her, so she's safe as long as there aren't any moles about. Dr. Quest lost contact with me about ten minutes ago because I got in a firefight with a group of angry men with big guns. I hate to say it, but Elena has called out her own personal body guards – those guys in suits – to flush us out. We've got to also make sure they don't make off with the rail gun."

Hadji reached into his uniform's shirt pocket and pulled out a small printed circuit board, saying, "It's useless right now: it won't operate without the acceleration control circuit. The lead will just fall out like an air gun."

"Excellent," Stone said. "All that leaves is to find Dr. Yaegar before she finds the rest, find Dr. Quest, and blow the shit out of this place and everyone else in it."

Hadji pressed his finger into his ear, blocking outside noise from his Codec. He began to talk quietly as Stone reclined against the doorway.

"Stone… do you know where Jonny is," I asked.

Stone looked at me, and said, "We got separated. He was covering my ass. I got caught up with blasting assholes back to whence they came. When I turned around, he was gone. Maybe he's gone to look for Dr. Quest; I don't know."

I thought about calling Stone's bullshit. Stone probably told Jonny to go look for Dr. Yaegar, or to contact the outside operatives.

"The look on your face says that you know otherwise," the old man said. "I imagine Hadji told you."

I nodded.

Stone smiled wryly, "Well, my dear, I know I can't fool a smart young lady. But, to be honest, I really don't know where he went."

I asked, "Does he have a Codec?"

"I found the supply room where they kept your things. Nothing much was left, except that."

"Does he have my frequency?"

"He does. However, something's wrong with the unit: it can't receive calls very clearly. I wasn't able to transmit to him. However, he does have the ability to call us."

"Typical," I sighed.

Stone pulled me close and gave me a hug with his one good arm, the other hung loosely by his side with his shotgun. Hadji got off the Codec, "That was Dr. Quest: we're in trouble."

Stone looked up, "Huh? What're you talking about?"

"The Security Administrators have turned loose Yaegar's bodyguards. They've also got canine units out searching for us."

"Shit," Stone said. He turned to me, "Jessie, you take point since you've got the biggest gun. We'll be right behind you."

I looked into the stairwell, "Where are we going?"

"Down. We're going to finish this."

"We've got to find Daddy and the rest."

"I know, sweetie, I know. I wonder where Lisa is…?"

Almost like it was scripted, Lisa crept slowly down the stairs above us. She leaned over the banister, "I'm right here…"

We all looked up at my former hostage and shield. The flower-patterned skirt and blouse seemed a little out of place in the midst of madness that consumed us. On the floors above us, a door was kicked down and the sounds of viscous attack dogs filled the stairwell.

All hell wasn't breaking loose. It was descending the stairs.

Top of Form


	7. Chapter 6: All in the Suit that You Wear

Chapter Six All in the Suit that You Wear

I took my Carbine and stepped forward as Lisa ran down the stairs and out into the hallway. Stone yelled an exclamatory as I began to fire – and be fired upon – the sentries above me. They were running down the stairs, only to come to a screeching halt and taking refuge on the landings above. Hadji took Lisa and led her behind me and around the corner. Some officers began leaning over and tried to shoot my friends as they descended. I got in the corner and began to spray some lead on them. Suddenly, the blasts from the muzzle became nothing but mere clicks as I ran out of ammo. "GO JESSIE!" Stone screamed as he cocked his shotgun and took a blast above us. I began to scramble down the stairs as a body free-fell down the center of the stairwell. A loud thud erupted as it slammed into the bottom floor seconds later. Hadji and Lisa were waiting at one of the landings as Stone brought up the rear. The dogs were released and scrambled down the flights towards us. Stone took one shot and blew the head off one of the Doberman Pinchers. Its foaming partner took heed of Stone's unwavering ability to kill any living creature that posed a threat and retreated into the hallway above. I ran ahead with Lisa as Hadji and Stone covered us. After a couple of landings we hit rock bottom.  
Stone was still involving himself in a firefight with the bad guys above.  
"STONE!" I yelled.  
He turned as a few shots ricocheted around him. He got the idea. Stone stumbled down the stairs behind Hadji as we made our way inside into the restricted laboratories. I slammed the door as Stone and Hadji slid a heavy metal cabinet in front of it. "That should keep them busy for at least a little bit. I took the liberty of screwing up the lock to the storeroom that has their detonators for the explosives," said Hadji.  
Stone pointed out, "Yeah, but it won't take long for them to find the biggest fucker in the pack to try and knock this door down. We've got to get moving." I looked around the lobby we had entered. We were in a security checkpoint – however, there were no guards attending the station nearby. The metal desk had blood splattered all over it and over the walls. In front of us was a glass wall and door that led to a quad. Under normal circumstances, the guard on duty would have to release the locks on the automated entryway. From what I gathered, he had done so, and then got what was coming to him. I walked over and peered behind the desk. Behind it was another camouflaged soldier – the name "BELZER" was labeled on it. Belzer's entire neck was blown to shreds, possibly with an automatic weapon like mine. His eyes were wide; he was surprised when his killer appeared. In Belzer's stiff hands was another Carbine like mine. I walked around and relieved him of its magazine and a few extra clips. I turned back to the rest of the group and reloaded my weapon. Stone motioned for me to take point and press onward. I wearily shook my head and stepped through the doorway. I stayed close to the metallic wall as we approached the quad. As we got closer, Jonny's scream echoed throughout the whole floor.

My Codec started to beep just as I ran up to the fountain in the center of the quad. Torn between the screams and crashing noises that came from all around, I frantically tried to press the receive button.  
I screamed, "WHAT!" Dr. Quest's voice came across the Codec, "JESSIE! YOU'VE GOT TO HELP JONNY! HE WENT AFTER DR. YAEGAR!" "WHERE IS HE!" "I… I don't know! The connection to the cameras down there has been destroyed. I don't have any visuals, just sound. You've got to find… oh God…" Dr. Quest was cut off as gun shots were heard in the background on his side. I muttered "Shit" as Hadji pointed ahead behind the water fountain in front of us. Jonny was tossed into the shallow pool; the fountain was composed of a giant spray with the water running over steps down to the bottom. I ran around to the right as Hadji took the left, leaving Stone to protect Lisa. Jonny was reclined against the slippery steps, bloody and beaten. His hair and rest of his body was soaked with bloody water. Across from him on the quad were two guys in black suits. Their hair was neatly cropped, their ties and uniforms neatly pressed, and their expressions fiercely cold. Before I could assess the situation, the one closest to me ran and leaped off of the small wall that contained the water. He spun around in midair and kicked me in the face. I slid backwards on the smooth white floor. I heard Hadji's gun fire before his attacker got the better of him. Hadji screamed in pain as I heard something break inside of him. I looked over to see him take a fierce blow to the jaw and then to the stomach. Hadji fell over onto his side and remained still. Stone narrowed his eyebrows and put himself in front of Lisa. He whispered something to her and she nodded. Hadji's brutal assailant started to approach Stone slowly, as if he knew how this was going to pan out. Stone looked up into the towering gray-headed man that stood before him. Before anyone could blink the suit pushed Stone's shotgun aside and chopped my old partner in the throat. Stone gasped for air as he was then thrown into the fountain's barrier. As soon as the suit turned back to Lisa, he found a gun pointing in his face. Lisa squeezed the trigger about four times without stopping. She's done this before, I thought. My attacker – a black haired, younger man – immediately turned to see his partner fall to the ground. I took my chance and used my Carbine to trace his spine with some lead. His body fell face first and slammed into the floor with a loud thud. I managed to pull myself up and run over to my fallen comrades. Jonny was beaten pretty badly, but he was still hanging on to consciousness. He opened his eyes at the sight of me and smiled a little bit, "Son of a bitch…" Thanks to the adrenaline coursing through my veins, I was able to hoist him out of the cold fountain water and lay him on the ground. Jonny stared up at the ceiling as I tried to comfort him before moving on to the rest.  
"Your dad's in trouble," I said.  
Jonny nodded, "I know. I managed to get in touch with him before Yaegar's bodyguards got to me." I shook my head, "Jonny… how did you get down here anyway?" Jonny looked over at Stone before looking back up at me.  
I turned around and looked at Stone myself. He looked at me with a pleading glare.  
"He's one of them, too, I suppose," I said.  
Stone was silent. Lisa walked in front of him, and said, "We all are." Surprised, I responded, "What?" "We all are, Jessie. The entire Quest team is now apart of the La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo. You always were… you just never knew it." "And who the hell are you?" "I'm a mole. I was here to help in your mission." Suddenly Lisa's body jerked backwards as a gaping hole appeared in her collarbone. Her eyes widened with eerie shock as blood squirted out of her wound. Lisa fell to the ground as Stone tried to catch her. For a minute the world stopped, but not enough for me to leap backwards out of the way as another piece of lead flew by me at an extremely accelerated pace. It was so fast that I could see a vapor trail behind it.  
There was more than one prototype.  
Everyone began to scramble as I pointed my Carbine and took fire. Two figures were standing at an entryway to some sort of administrative area about fifty yards from us. As soon as bullets began to pelt the walls around them, they ran back inside. I slid on the floor and hopped up. Hadji and Jonny were taking cover on the other side of the fountain; Stone had dragged Lisa behind one of the towering marble columns that stood at each corner of the quad. I ran over to the far wall and began to advance to the corner closest to the entryway. Stone peered around from the column and offered cover fire; Hadji did the same from his fountain position. When I got up to the very edge of the opening, I slowly peered around into the office area. A receptionist desk was tipped over onto its side below a giant emblem of the research facility's logo.  
I had found Dr. Yaegar's office. The door to the right was ajar. I slowly crept around the corner and kept scanning the horizon. Inside the waiting room to Dr. Yaegar's office were a couple of plants and some very expensive looking waiting couches. A conference room was off to the left of the room something had exploded, bringing down the whole wall into its doorway. Knowing my luck, Dr. Yaegar would be holed up inside. I swept the lobby area. The body of a young secretary was strewn to the side of her desk. She had been shot repeatedly in the head – half her face was missing. I stepped over her body and looked inside of Dr. Yaegar's office. Her back wall was individual glass panes that looked into the ocean depth; each one was about forty yards high to the ceiling. Dr. Yaegar's desk was an exquisite professionally furnished solid oak workspace. Its contents on top, however, told a different story. Papers were strewn everywhere. I could see drawers lying all over the ground with their contents everywhere. A couple of cans of gasoline were sitting nearby and the smell was extremely strong. These people were going to save me the trouble of having to destroy this place. No sooner had I set one foot in the door when my Carbine was yanked from my hands and a giant fist punched me square in the face. I sailed backwards and tripped over the body of the slain secretary. I looked up as McGee and Carpenter stood over me, each one wielding what looked like an oversized AK-47. They were crafted with cold black steel; digital readouts were produced on an LCD screen on top of the weapon. A giant scope was also mounted on top of the weapon, ensuring that its user would make a surefire hit. The last thing I saw before I was knocked out was Carpenter's heavy steel-toed boot smash my face.

She was calling my name.  
Dr. Yaegar was near. Very, very near.  
I began to come to only to find that my entire body was strapped down with heavy nylon rope. Those bastards had tied me to the desk. The rope strangled my body and dug deep into my limbs. Blood was dried to the majority of my face. I finally managed to open my eyes to see her cold, piercing gaze. Almost mockingly, she stroked my face.  
Dr. Yaegar asked, "How do you feel, my dear?" I spit, "Fuck… you…" She smacked me hard across the face.  
"Insignificant little whore. Well, you'll pay for causing me all this trouble." Dr. Yaegar began to walk around the desk and gaze into the ocean beside us. "This was a very costly facility. It took about three years to build and become fully functional. It's not as big as my facility in Europe, but I enjoy the solitude right under the peoples' noses." "Where is my family?" I asked.  
The good doctor turned and smiled, saying, "I've let them go." I looked at her, "You're shitting me." Dr. Yaegar shook her head, "No. I've sent them back to the city, except for one…" I turned my head to see Jonny's limp body sprawled across the floor a few feet away. I gasped.  
"I decided that two lovers shouldn't die separately." I started scream and shout, "YOU FUCKING BITCH! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU CUM SLURPING RIMJOB WHORE!" McGee stepped beside Dr. Yaegar, and said to her, "We're ready to leave, Dr. Yaegar." She nodded and said to me, "See you in Hell, sweetie." With that, Dr. Yaegar left with her escort. McGee followed her out the door. First, he stopped and took the lit cigarette out of his mouth. My eyes widened as I remembered that the desk – and subsequently, now me – was soaked in gasoline. McGee tossed his smoke into a stream of fuel leading away from the door to the desk. Immediately, a wall of fire sprung up and began to quickly approach the desk. I fought and wrestled with my bounds, yelling Jonny's name or for anyone nearby that gave a damn for assistance. Jonny began to stir a little bit, but not fast enough to realize that the fire was about to leap onto the table with me. I began to cry uncontrollably as I fought and squirmed to the best of my abilities, which didn't amount to much in terms of escaping. Jonny began to crawl towards me, I could hear him. He began to fumble with the ropes.  
In despair, he called out to me, "They're… too tight… I can't do it…" I started to wail as the fire crept up the table and warm up my shoes. Dr. Quest's voice echoed throughout the hallway, "What the hell!"

Dr. Quest leapt through the walls of fire and began to swat at the flames with his lab coat. He managed douse the ones creeping up the desk but it was still coming. He shoved his body into the desk and moved it farther away from the open flames and closer to the window. Jonny staggered onto his feet and held his head. Dr. Quest turned to him, asking, "Are you all right son?" Jonny tried to keep his balance and nodded.  
"Come on, we've got to get her off of there." The two yanked and pulled the bounds until they were able to undo the tight knots in the rope. Once my bounds were loosened, I immediately scrambled out of them and off the desk. My entire back and legs were soaked with gasoline. Jonny grabbed my hand as Dr. Quest led us around and away from the blaze that started to creep up the walls. As we ran back to the quad, I asked, "Where is everyone!" Dr. Quest yelled back, "Dr. Yaegar said they were on land! She lied! I took care of them, though!" "What, they didn't find you?" "No! I'm an expert when it comes to hide-and-go-seek!" "Where are they now!" "They really are back on land now! We've got to get back and get to a hospital!" "Shit…!" Back into the quad we ran. Flames were everywhere, crawling up the walls and onto the ceiling. Explosions rocked in the hallways leading to the other laboratories. Ahead of us were two soldiers wearing flamethrowers. We all slid to a halt so not to be spotted. Silently, Dr. Quest handed me a giant revolver.  
"It's a Magnum. Stone gave it to me," he said quietly.  
I grasped the grip of Stone's massive gun. It was the same one he used on the motorcycle back in Nags Head. I gulped and pulled the hammer back as I took aim at one of the fuel tanks. One grunt was in front of the other, so I decided to aim for him first. The hammer struck the bullet just as he was turning to check on his partner. Through the gas mask I could see his eyes widen as his tank exploded. The soldier behind him fell backwards as his comrade was engulfed in flames. He began to dance around wildly as his fire resistant uniform began to melt onto him. The other turned as I fired a bullet into his head. He stumbled and fell forward, landing with a loud clank of the equipment he bore onto the hard floor. We ran forward past the corpses of Dr. Yaegar's cleanup crew. "They've disabled the sprinkler system," Dr. Quest said as we began to run up the stairs. "Originally, she was going to blow the place up with SENTEX and C4. Unfortunately for her, Hadji destroyed all the charges and hid all the plastic. As you could probably tell, she's going to torch the place. I heard they were going to use a submarine to blow this place out of the water. The La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo is keeping a close eye on her right now. Jessie, we have to get those prototypes." "I know, Dr. Quest," I said.  
"Don't look now," Jonny yelled.  
I looked up to see three heavily armed, well-dressed bodyguards descending the stairs. Dr. Quest slammed into a locked door and knocked it of its hinges. We hurried inside into the third floor. Much to my delight, there were more office environments and more guys with flamethrowers practicing a scorched earth policy. However, behind them were guards armed with automatic weapons. Rows of cubicles lined up and down the aisles. Black smoke was making its way up the walls and plowing into the ceiling. I ducked low with everyone else.  
"Split up," Dr. Quest said.  
I crawled on my hands and knees into a nearby office cube. Jonny and Dr. Quest did likewise on the opposite side of the aisle. The crackling of flames, collapsing of the floor, and squawking of various radios filled the air along with the poisonous carbon monoxide. The guys in suits strode by, each one donning gas masks. I prayed they wouldn't stop and take a peek into each of the work areas. But they jogged on; Dr. Quest peered out from his hiding spot to see what their task at hand was. Immediately he ducked back inside as the group plus all the flamethrowers and soldiers proceeded out the exit. Dr. Quest once again stuck his head out and made sure the coast was clear. He waved for me to come over. I scooted across the hallway.  
Dr. Quest pointed out towards the far end of the area, saying, "We have to get to the dispatch area. There's a ladder leading to the floor above us – the loading bay floor – it has a tunnel in there leading back to the surface." "Okay, let's go," I replied.  
I jumped out and swept around us to make sure we weren't in anyone's sights. We all stayed low and made our way under the black smoke as it filled out lungs and vision. The heat was getting intense. Lots of cubicles, isolated conference rooms, and finally a hallway came into view. As we passed one of the conference rooms, Jonny remarked, "Oh… shit…"I turned to see what turned his stomach. I nearly vomited.  
Inside one of the conference rooms were bodies. They ranged from researchers to office staff to maintenance. They were being burned along with the rest of the facility. Apparently, Dr. Yaegar wanted to cover her ass to the fullest extent.  
Dr. Quest yelled, "We've got to keep moving!" I agreed.  
We pressed onward and out into the smooth, pale colored hallway. I set one foot out over the threshold when a slew of bullets began to hit the walls and molding around me. I jumped back and peered around the corner of the doorway. A guard and a flamethrower were running down the hall towards us. I put half my body out and took a shot at the first immediate threat: my shooter. His shoulder jerked back as he fell backwards into the one wielding the flamethrower. The two fell to the floor. Jonny and Dr. Quest ran by and dragged me with them as we scrambled down the corridor. I could hear the whoosh of flames as the entire hallway behind us was set ablaze. As they chased us through the fires, we came upon the dispatch control room. I slammed the heavy metal door shut while Dr. Quest and Jonny pushed a couple of desks in front of it. The dispatch room was a spacious room; monitors showed cameras stationed at every nook and cranny in the whole facility. A couple of bodies were strewn over the consoles; blood was smeared almost everywhere and dripped quietly from the panels. The lights were kept at a low dim to reduce reflections on the monitors. I walked over and examined one of the screens. It showed a long underwater tunnel leading back to the mainland.  
Dr. Quest took notice, and said, "That's our escape route." I looked back at him, "We're gonna walk?" "No. They have a couple of vehicles at our disposal in the garage." "Let's go! They're starting to grenade the door!" Jonny shouted.  
Dr. Quest led us across the dispatcher's floor to the opposite side. A ladder leading up into the ceiling beckoned us. Since I had the gun, I went first. Behind us, the loud explosions of fragmentation grenades rocked the whole floor. The door leading back to the hallway budged a little bit. My stomach began to turn inside out as I slowly lifted the hatch to the garage annexed to the loading bay.

The heavy iron hatch slowly moved upward as I pushed every ounce of upper body strength I had into it. Finally, it lifted up and fell over onto the cement floor. I pulled myself out of the hole off the ladder and looked around. We were situated in a giant parking garage like those seen in office complexes. On a far wall a gaping hole showed the loading bay that Stone and I had infiltrated in the beginning. Water was heard rushing at a very fast pace and at a very hard rate. The bay itself looked heavily damaged from explosions; there was no telling how much longer the facility would maintain its support. In the distance near the entrance of the parking bay, stood a small heavily armed team; I quietly motioned for Jonny and Dr. Quest to make their way up the ladder. The two slipped up onto the polished cement floor. We took cover behind some white logo-branded SUVs nearby. Jonny turned to me and asked, "How much ammunition do you have?" I looked into the chamber, saying, "Not much; I think maybe… three shots?" "We're going to have to think of something," Dr. Quest said. "I don't think they're going to let us sneak out of here quietly." Jonny began to slide upwards.  
I grabbed his arm and yelled in a hushed voice, "Jonny! What the hell are you doing?" "Just give me a second," he said.  
I watched as he peered into the SUV. He came back down, saying, "The keys are in the ignition." "How convenient," I said.  
"There must be another mole," Dr. Quest said. "That or these guys are incredibly stupid." "Awfully big guns to be considered an idiot," Jonny replied.  
Dr. Quest's eyes were suddenly caught on something. Jonny and I took notice and turned around to see what was up.  
"Holy shit," I gasped.  
Sitting in the shadows was my Pontiac Trans Am. Next to it was a Harley Davidson Road King Classic like the one Stone blew up after the chase at the beach.  
"We've lucked out," Dr. Quest said.  
Jonny grabbed my arm, "Jess, you go on ahead…" I took his hand and looked into Jonny's pale, tired blue eyes.  
"I can't, Jonny. You and your dad need to go first." He smiled weakly, "If you insist." I kissed him gently.  
"Let us proceed," Dr. Quest said.  
I said, "I'll cover you the best I can." Dr. Quest and Jonny peered around to make sure the sentries nearby were still oblivious to the fact that they were not alone. As luck would have it, they were now starting to move up the tunnel. "I just hope the keys are in the ignition," Jonny pondered.  
They stayed in the shadows and made their way to my car. Dr. Quest slowly opened the driver-side door; Jonny did likewise on his door. The two climbed in and quietly shut the doors. I, too, stuck to the shadows and made my way over to the motorcycle. Jonny turned around and gave me a thumbs up through the rear windshield. I climbed onto the motorcycle and breathed a sigh of relief as the key was snuggly fit into the ignition. A loud explosion rocked the entire complex as the monotone computerized voice came over the PA system: "Warning, facility stability compromised. Self-destruct sequence initiated. Please proceed to the nearest emergency exit in an orderly fashion. This is not a drill." Dr. Quest cranked up my Trans Am as I cranked up the Harley Davidson. Dr. Quest threw the transmission into drive and stepped on the gas. I put the bike in gear, turned on the headlight, and went full throttle. The group of guards at the front took immediate notice to all the action going on; unfortunately for them, my Trans Am plowed through about three of them. I followed close behind on my motorcycle. Bullets began to ricochet and bounce off the concrete tunnel around us. Both engines echoed off the walls and made hearing extremely difficult. I prayed to God that there wouldn't be any roadblocks ahead or anything that involved shooting. Explosion after explosion echoed behind us over the already loud ambient noise of the engines going at their maximum. The walls and road shook violently as the entire structure that we left behind began to collapse. If we didn't get out of this tunnel and back onto dry land fast, we would either be crushed by the collapsing debris or drown.  
In any case, time was running out.

I couldn't tell how far underwater we were – deep enough for anybody – but for the longest time it felt that we were going forward and not upward. The tunnel was sealed all around so I couldn't see the ocean or any other surroundings around me. Finally the roadway began to slowly slope upwards. However, just as we got on a steady incline to head back to shore, the lights inside the tunnel went out. Immediately we switched on our respective headlights but maintained our speed of pretty fucking fast. In the near distance, the light from the evening dusk seemed inviting. Behind us, on the other hand, n gigantic fireball was heading our way, and fast. I screamed, "HOLY SHIT!" Dr. Quest took notice of the gigantic napalm quickly approaching also. The V6 engine revved up faster as he began to push the car to the maximum. I tried my best to keep up. In the blink of an eye, right before my eyes to be exact, the Pontiac Trans Am launched itself out of the tunnel and landed hard onto the level road in front of it. Dr. Quest swerved the car sideways and brought it to a halt. I pulled up on the handlebars to pop a wheelie; in the air, I figured, I would have a better chance of directing my landing. As I launched myself off the tunnel road, the area between my left shoulder and collar bone burned like hell as my body was knocked from the saddle of the motorcycle. I looked up into the purple sky as the stars began to make their appearance; the napalm whooshed out of the tunnel but was quickly doused when the entire roadway under it collapsed back into the ocean. My body sailed for what felt like an eternity, although, as anyone could imagine, it was only a matter of seconds. I slammed hard into the sand of the beach, flipping and rolling uncontrollably until I slid to a halt into the grass upon the upper shore. I could hear Jonny's screaming as Dr. Yaegar stood over me, a look of deep displeasure in her face. In her hands was a rail gun. In my wound, pain throbbed like a sixteen year-old adolescent pumped up on Viagra. My grip on consciousness was once again compromised.  
I blacked out to Jonny screaming my name.

Darkness surrounded me like a motionless void. In it, I could hear Stone's voice once more.  
This time, it was scratchy, weak. I called out to him, this time my voice actually working. Something grasped my hand, but I couldn't see anything except the darkness inside. He kept telling me on how strong I was, and how I was ready for solo missions. I shook my head in disbelief: the mission was over? I kept telling myself I was hallucinating. Time passed in mere silence.  
Eventually, however, I could hear the gentle beep of an EKG monitor. Feeling came back to the rest of my body… it was cushioned on a hospital bed. As my numb arms came back alive, the feeling of intravenous needles pierced right below my elbow on my underarm. I slowly opened my eyes to see the end of my hospital bed. Jonny was slumped over my legs. I moaned a little bit; Jonny stirred and looked up. Through the pain of my vision, I could see stitches on his face and forehead, not to mention his black eye.  
"Thank God you're alive, Jess," Jonny said.  
He stood upright from the chair he had pulled up next to my bed. He leaned down and gently kissed me on my cracked, dry lips. I reached over and took my guardian's hand.  
I looked up into his tired blue eyes and asked, "Where am I? Where is everybody?" Jonny rubbed his eyes, saying, "You're in Cleveland Regional Medical Center in Shelby, North Carolina. Stone had you airlifted here because it's safer. Dad and Race are downstairs." "What about Stone? And Hadji? And what happened to Dr. Yaegar?" On that note, Stone entered the doorway, and said, "We're right here, Jessie." Hadji followed closely behind Stone as the two approached the other side of my bed. "Jonny completed your mission for you," Hadji said.  
I looked at Jonny, "What happened?" "After I saw her shoot you with the rail gun, I went berserk. I… I killed her with my own two hands." "He strangled her to death while he beat the living shit out of her," Stone said firmly.  
I started to cry, "Jonny… I don't want to do this anymore…" Jonny firmly grasped my hand.  
"I'm sorry, Jessie," Stone said. "We don't do it by choice." "Why? Why do I have to do this! I was perfectly happy with the life I had!" Daddy and Dr. Quest came into the room after that. I looked at Daddy and screamed, "You did this to me! YOU AND MOM DID THIS TO ME! YOU MADE ME INTO A GODDAMN SCIENCE PROJECT!" The EKG meter began to beep faster as my blood pressure began to soar.  
Daddy put up his hands, "Calm down, Ponchita…" "CALM DOWN! YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN! FUCK YOU! YOU GO TO HELL YOU GODDAMN WAR MONGERER! I NEVER HAD A LIFE THANKS TO YOU AND MOM! FUCK YOU BOTH WITH THE BIGGEST GODDAMN TEN FOOT POLE!" "Jessie! You have to calm down," affirmed Hadji.  
"He's right, sweetie," said Stone.  
I looked up at the ceiling and screamed, "FUCK YOU ALL! LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!" Stone turned to the others and nodded. Slowly, everyone except Jonny took their leave. Daddy kept his face pointed to the floor; Hadji and Stone kept their grim expressions forward. Jonny lowered the bed rail and sat beside me. He comforted me as I loudly wept. I never had a say-so in what I was to become; given the choice, I probably would've opted for a normal teenage life. I could've gone to college, gotten my degree in chemistry or biology, or even computer science, and go be successful somewhere. I didn't want to spend my days chasing down bad guys – compared to stumbling upon them in my younger days – but I guessed that what I wanted was out of the question. But, as the minutes passed, it began to sink in that no matter how hard I could try to change who I was meant to be, I could never deny my true self. That is why Stone kept haunting my dreams, or at least that's why my mind generated him based on what he told me long ago. Jonny kissed my forehead as I stopped crying.  
"Are you okay now?" he asked.  
I looked up, "I… I don't know… why me?" "The real question is: why not you? Look, Jessie, Stone said you opened up a fifty-five gallon drum of whoop ass and let loose. You took a searing piece of lead to the shoulder that made you bleed almost half to death and lose your entire arm, but you're still alive to tell about it. You've got the natural instincts and genetic advantage of a soldier. You were called upon not because you were part of an experiment, but because you're capable of filling the position." "I don't know if I can…" Jonny retorted, "Bullshit, Jess, you know and I know you can. Besides, just because you're now a part of TRAIN and the La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo, that doesn't mean you can't be with us… or me." "And what if I can't?" "Don't say that, Jessie. Just have faith." "I'll try." Jonny hugged me.  
"I love you," I said.  
Jonny said softly, "I love you, too." 


	8. Epilogue: Hemorrhage in My Hands

Epilogue Hemorrhage in My Hands

I was in the hospital for two weeks.  
During that time, Mom flew in; subsequently, Daddy and her came to talk to me. Unfortunately, I was still too upset with them to carry on a normal conversation. Stone suggested to them to wait until I was through soul searching before discussing what had taken place years ago before her conception. They agreed, and stopped visiting altogether. I don't know if Stone also had anything to do with that or not. Dr. Quest and Hadji checked in over the course of my stay and assisted with my physical therapy some while Jonny kept by my side 24/7. On the day that I was discharged, Stone arrived at my private room with all the necessary paperwork. "Shouldn't a nurse deliver this?" I asked.  
"Special circumstances for a special person," he said. "These aren't filed in your typical manner, if you catch my drift. The La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo doesn't like leaving paper trails." "How about all the medical bills?" "Don't worry about it," Stone winked. He provided me with a loose fitting cyan blue t-shirt, clean sets of underwear, a pair of blue jeans, and white Reeboks. After lacing up my sneakers, Stone handed me my pain medications.  
"Doctor said to take these until their gone. You should make a full recovery in a few weeks," he said.  
I looked at him, "Am I going home?" "For a little while, Jessica." "A little while? What the hell does that mean?" Stone shook his head and walked off. Jonny assisted me to the elevator and down to the ground floor. Outside, the valet went and retrieved my Trans Am. The gleam from the fresh wax job hurt my eyes. Jonny opened the door as I slid inside onto the hot leather seat. Jonny took the keys from the valet attendant and climbed into the driver seat. As he cranked the car and put it into gear, I rested my head onto the headrest. I glanced up at the rearview and saw the neck of my guitar in the mirror. I looked into the backseat and found it along with the Bible Jonny had discovered days earlier before this nightmare began. Jonny took notice, and said, "Stone said that it'd probably be best if it traveled with us. He said in the event we take a break from the road, you'd have something to do." I looked closer at the small leather-bound book, and said, "He left his gun, too?" "Yeah, said that you've graduated to it. There's some more stuff in the trunk, too." I nodded and reclined back into my seat. The sun brightly displayed the city of Shelby. I watched the many buildings and fast food restaurants pass by as we began our journey back north. I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the pain that throbbed in my shoulder under the many bandages and stitches. 

I woke up at about four o'clock in the morning. My sleep had been uninterrupted until this point when something jolted right through me. My mouth was dry, so I decided to make my way downstairs to the kitchen for a liquid of any sort. My jade-colored pajamas made a silent swishing sound as I made my way down the stairs and bee-lined it to the fridge. I opened up the stainless steel Kenmore and examined the contents inside. I pulled out one of Daddy's beers – Killian's Irish Red – and set it on the counter. By the time I got the cap off and took a swig, I heard myself thinking, "What the hell am I doing?" The sour, bitter taste of lager swirled in my mouth and traveled down the back of my throat. I sat down at the kitchen table and began to nurse the bottle. By all means, it didn't taste like I had expected beer to taste. However, my body seemed to have a craving for it. One became two; two became three; finally I finished off the rest of Daddy's six-pack. I left the bottles sitting on the kitchen table and sleepily stumbled into the living room. The moon allowed some of its light into the room; I picked up my keys off the coffee table. I wasn't going to drive in my semi-drunken state: I just wanted to see what was in the trunk of my car. Jonny must've forgotten – or wanted to forget – what was lurking in the storage compartment. Whatever had driven me to wipe out Daddy's alcohol was now driving me to investigate what failed to make it into the house. Into the cool night air I briskly walked, using any stable object nearby for support. My Trans Am was parked out front in the circle. I made my way around to the back of the vehicle and fumbled with my keys and the trunk lock. On the fourth attempt, the trunk lid popped open and the interior light turned on. I rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes and glared at the sneaking suit neatly folded up inside. On top of it was a little handwritten note from Stone:  
"Try not to lose this one. They're a bitch to replace. Stone." A paperclip held some sort of admission ticket. I pulled it up into the light and read the title: U.S. SECURITIES EXCHANGE COMMISSION SPONSORED BALL TO CELEBRATE THE ELECTION OF MARSHALL GREER TO FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD. No matter how far you run, you can never outrun yourself. I closed my eyes and slammed the trunk shut. 


End file.
